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WITHPORTER-  IN 
THEESSEX 


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«ARY 
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Brooklyn 

^if-Library  Association.-!^^ 


1.  This  book  may  be  retained  two  weeks. 

2.  If  it  has  not  been  called  for  in  the  meantime 
the  Librarian  in  charge  may  extend  this  period 
for  one  week  only. 

3.  All  books  not  returned  at  the  end  of  the  al- 
iened or  extended  time  shall  be  fined  at  the  rate 
of  one  cent  a  day. 

4.  No  book  shall  be  loaned  out  of  the  members' 
family  except  to  members. 

5.  Books  lost  must  be  replaced  acceptable  to 
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6.  Books  injured  must  be  paid  for  according  to 
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N.  B.  Any  person  breaking  any  of  the  above 
rules  forfeits  the  privileges  of  the  Library  until 
reinstated  by  the  Executive  Committee. 

Arthur  A.  Milligan,  Printer. 


"^^i-d^cA^  -^ ^ ' /^^7 


BOOKS  BY  JAMES  OTIS. 

WITH  PERRY  ON  LAKE  ERIE.     A  Tale  of  1812. 

307  pp.     Cloth.    ^1.50. 

WITH  PREBLE  AT  TRIPOLI.  A  Story  of  «  Old 
Ironsides  "  and  The  Tripolitan  War.  349  pp. 
Cloth.    ^1.50. 

WITH  PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX.  A  Story  of 
HIS  Famous  Cruise  in  Southern  Waters  during 
THE  War  of  181 2.    344  pp.    Cloth.    ^1.50. 

THE  CRUISE  OF  THE  ENTERPRISE.  Being  the 
Story  of  the  Struggle  and  Defeat  of  the  French 
Privateering  Expedit  3Ns  against  the  United 
States  in  1779.    359  pp.    Cloth.    ^1.50. 


IT  WAS  ONLY  NECESSARY  THAT  THE  CREW  SHOULD  REACH  OUT  AND  PULL 
US  ON  BOARD. 


Jar'.es     Of  is  ^cJer 

WITH    PORTER   IN   THE 
ESSEX 


A  Story  of  his  Famous  Cruise  in  Southern 
IVaters  during  the  War  of  1812 


BY 

JAMES   OTIS^  ^re^i^ 


ILLUSTRATED   BY 

WILLIAM   F.  STECHER 


O  V'  .  # 


r 


^y^:) 


BOSTON  AND   CHICAGO 
W.   A.  WILDE   COMPANY 


Copyright,  J  got. 

By  W.  a.  Wilde  Company. 

All  rights  reserved. 


WITH   PORTER  IN  THE   ESSEX. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  Introducing  Myself 17 

II.  The  Coast  of  Chili 34 

III.  Oliver  Benson's  Scheme 57 

IV.  Among  the  Whalers       .        .        .        .        .        .80 

V.  The  New  Fleet 103 

VI.  A  Call  for  Volunteers 126 

VII.  An  Island  Port 149 

VIII.  NuKUHEVA 172, 

IX.  An  Old  Enemy 195 

X.  Among  the  Typees 218 

XI.  A  Naval  Station    .        • 241 

XII,  At  Valparaiso         . 264 

XIII.  The  Britishers 287 

XIV.  The  Battle 311 

XV.  On  Parole 334 


5 

803 


■J 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


PAGE 

"  It  was  only  necessary  that  the  crew  should  reach  out  and 

pull  us  on  board  " Frontispiece  28 

"  He  forced  the  iron  rods  from  their  sockets  in  short  order  "    .  77 

"  Soon  we  were  out  of  reach  of  the  grape,  and  then  we  ran 

across  the  ship's  bow" 158 

"  The  party  came  in,  waving  green  palm-leaves  "     .         .         .  244 

'•  Nearer  and  nearer  came  the  Phoebe  " 295 


PROLOGUE. 

The  manuscript  of  this  story  was  written  by  Ezra 
McKnight,  a  cousin  of  that  Stephen  Decatur  McKnight 
of  Hartford,  Connecticut,  who  was  captured  after  the 
action  between  the  Essex  and  the  Phoebe  and  Cherub^ 
and  with  a  companion  named  James  Lyman  went  to 
Rio  de  Janeiro  as  exchanged  prisoners  of  war.  From 
that  port,  according  to  Lossing,  these  two  shipped  for 
England  in  a  Swedish  vessel,  and,  although  the  ship 
arrived  in  safety,  her  captain  never  gave  any  account 
of  his  prisoners,  nor  was  it  known  what  had  become 
of  them.  That  they  were  murdered  would  be  the 
natural  inference,  since  in  event  of  their  being  treach- 
erously sent  to  England  some  record  must  have  been 
found  regarding  them. 

He  who  wrote  the  story  of  the  cruise  of  the  Essex 
which  follows  here,  searched  long  but  vainly  for  some 
clew  to  the  fate  of  his  brave  cousin ;  in  fact,  after  leav- 
ing the  United  States  Navy  it  was  his  lifework  to  dis- 
cover the  fate  of  that  brave  lieutenant  who  was  the 
only  officer  uninjured  on  board  the  Essex  after  that 


lO  PROLOGUE. 

unequal  conquest  was  cowardly  forced  upon  her  by 
Captain  Hillyar  of  the  Phoebe^  whose  vessel  and  life 
had  once  been  spared  by  Captain  Porter. 

Failing  to  gain  any  information  concerning  the  Heu- 
tenant,  Ezra  McKnight  set  himself  down  to  write  the 
story  of  that  marvellous  cruise  of  the  Essex,  the  United 
States  frigate  of  thirty-two  guns,  commanded  by  Cap- 
tain David  Porter  who  was  born  in  Boston  on  the  first 
of  February,  1780.  How  this  manuscript  came  into 
the  hands  of  the  editor  it  is  not  necessary  to  state. 
Suffice  it  to  say  that  no  change  has  been  made  in  the 
original  arrangement  of  the  tale,  nor  in  any  of  the 
details ;  it  is  here  presented  virtually  as  Ezra  McKnight 
wrote  it,  with  only  so  much  of  editing  as  seemed  neces- 
sary in  order  to  bring  it  within  the  requirements  of  a 
story  of  the  present  day. 

To  those  who  may  read  that  which  follows  for  the 
purpose  of  learning  somewhat  of  their  country's  history, 
it  is  well  to  state  a  few  facts  which  would  not  naturally 
appear  in  what  was  originally  intended  for  an  account 
of  the  adventurous  voyage. 

The  commander  of  the  Essex  gained  his  first  expe- 
rience in  the  navy  on  board  the  frigate  Constellation^ 
which  vessel  he  entered  as  midshipman  in  1798.  Con- 
cerning  him  Lossing  says  that  "he  was  in  the  action 


PROLOGUE.  1 1 

between  the  Constellation  and  the  U Insurgente  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1799,  when  his  gallantry  was  so  conspicuous 
that  he  was  immediately  promoted  to  lieutenant.  He 
accompanied  the  first  United  States  squadron  that  ever 
sailed  to  the  Mediterranean  in  1803,  and  was  on  board 
the  Philadelphia  when  she  struck  on  the  rock  in  the 
harbor  of  TripoH.  There  he  suffered  imprisonment. 
In  1806  he  was  appointed  to  the  command  of  the 
Enterprise^  and  cruised  in  the  Mediterranean  for  six 
years.  On  his  return  to  the  United  States  he  was 
placed  in  command  of  the  flotilla  station  near  New 
Orleans,  where  he  remained  until  war  was  declared  in 
18 12,  when  he  was  promoted  to  captain  and  assigned 
to  the  command  of  the  frigate  Essex,  taking  with  him, 
on  this  last  cruise,  his  adopted  son,  David  G.  Farragut, 
who,  during  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  was  made  an 
admiral." 

Now,  in  order  that  the  memory  of  the  reader  may  be 
refreshed  as  to  the  strength  of  the  United  States  Navy 
while  this  cruise  was  being  made,  the  following  extract 
is  taken  from  Lossing's  "War  of  1812." 

"  As  we  take  a  survey  from  a  standpoint  at  mid- 
autumn,  18 1 3,  we  observe  with  astonishment  only  three 
American  frigates  at  sea,  namely,  the  President,  44 ; 
the  Congress,  38 ;  and  the  Essex,  32.     The  Constitution, 


12  PROLOGUE. 

44,  was  undergoing  repairs ;  the  Constellation^  38,  was 
blockaded  at  Norfolk;  and  the  United  States,  44,  and 
Macedonian,  38,  were  prisoners  in  the  Thames  above 
New  London.  The  Adams,  28,  was  undergoing  re- 
pairs and  alterations,  while  the  John  Adams,  28,  New 
York,  36,  and  Boston,  28,  were  virtually  condemned. 
All  the  brigs,  excepting  the  Enterprise,  had  been  cap- 
tured, and  she  was  not  to  be  trusted  at  sea  much  longer. 
The  Essex,  Commodore  Porter,  was  the  only  govern- 
ment vessel  of  size  which  was  then  sustaining  the  repu- 
tation of  the  American  Navy,  and  she  was  in  far  distant 
seas,  with  a  track  equal  to  more  than  a  third  of  the 
circumference  of  the  globe  between  her  and  the  home 
port  from  which  she  sailed.  She  was  then  making  one 
of  the  most  remarkable  cruises  on  record." 

In  October,  18 12,  Captain  William  Bainbridge  was 
appointed  the  successor  of  Captain  Hull  in  the  com- 
mand of  the  Constitution;  and,  according  to  Lossing, 
"  a  small  squadron,  consisting  of  the  Constitution,  44, 
Essex,  32,  and  Hornet,  18,  were  placed  in  his  charge. 
When  Bainbridge  entered  upon  his  duty  in  the  new 
sphere  of  flag  officer,  the  Constitution  and  Hornet  were 
lying  in  Boston  harbor,  and  the  Essex,  Captain  Porter, 
was  in  the  Delaware.  Orders  were  sent  to  the  latter 
to  cruise  in  the  track  of  the  English  West  Indiamen, 


PROLOGUE.  13 

and  at  the  specified  time  to  rendezvous  at  certain  ports, 
when,  if  he  should  not  fall  in  with  the  flagship  of  the 
squadron,  he  would  be  at  liberty  to  follow  the  dictates 
of  his  own  judgment.  Such  contingency  occurred, 
and  the  Essex  sailed  on  a  very  long  and  most  eventful 
cruise  in  the  South  Atlantic  and  Pacific  Oceans." 

The  Essex  left  the  Delaware  October,  181 2,  in  pur- 
suance with  the  command  received  by  Captain  Porter ; 
and  he  must  have  already  outlined  in  his  own  mind 
what  course  to  pursue  in  case  he  failed  to  meet  the 
little  squadron,  for  Lossing  says,  '*  Captain  Porter  took 
with  him  a  larger  number  of  officers  and  crew  than  was 
common  for  a  vessel  of  that  size.  Her  muster  roll  con- 
tained three  hundred  and  nineteen  names ;  and  her  sup- 
plies were  so  ample  that  she  sank  deep  in  the  water, 
which  greatly  impeded  her  sailing  qualities." 

On  Porter's  monument,  which  stands  in  Woodlawn 
Cemetery,  Pennsylvania,  are  the  following  inscriptions : 

"  Commodore  David  Porter,  one  of  the  most  heroic 
sons  of  Pennsylvania,  having  long  represented  his 
country  with  fidelity  as  minister  resident  at  Constanti- 
nople, died  at  that  city  in  the  patriotic  discharge  of  his 
duties  March  3,  1843." 

"In  the  War  of  18 12  his  merits  were  exhibited  not 
merely  as  an  intrepid  commander,  but  in  exploring  new 


14  PROLOGUE. 

fields  of  success  and  glory.  A  career  of  brilliant  good 
fortune  was  crowned  by  an  engagement  against  supe- 
rior force  and  fearful  advantages,  which  history  re- 
cords as  an  event  among  the  most  remarkable  in  naval 
warfare." 

"  His  early  youth  was  conspicuous  for  skill  and  gal- 
lantry in  the  naval  services  of  the  United  States  when 
the  American  arms  were  exercised  with  romantic  chiv- 
alry before  the  battlements  of  TripoH.  He  was  on  all 
occasions  among  the  bravest  of  the  brave ;  zealous  in 
the  performance  of  every  duty;  ardent  and  resolute 
in  the  trying  hour  of  calamity;  composed  and  steady 
in  the  blaze  of  victory." 

JAMES  OTIS. 


WITH   PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX 


WITH  PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX, 


CHAPTER   I. 

INTRODUCING   MYSELF. 

AN  awkward,  raw-boned  lad  of  fourteen  was  I  when 
an  opportunity  came  to  enlist  as  a  boy  on  board 
the  Essex,  a  United  States  frigate  of  thirty-two*  guns, 
commanded  by  Captain  David  Porter.  My  desire  ever 
had  been  to  join  the  navy,  in  which  my  cousin,  Stephen 
Decatur  Mc Knight,  had  already  won  much  of  glory 
and  a  commission ;  it  was  through  him  that  I  was 
finally  able  to  satisfy  my  longings,  which  had  increased 
from  year  to  year  until  it  seemed  as  if  I  could  be  con- 
tent in  no  other  sphere  of  action  than  that  of  serving 
my  country  upon  the  ocean. 

War  had  been  declared ;  once  more  was  it  proposed 
to  give  England  a  lesson  in  good  manners ;  and  while 
that  lesson  was  being  taught,  I  intended  to  so  act  my 
part  that  when  it  was  finished   I    might   have   gained 

3  0  90  17 


1 8  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

a  recognized  position  among  men,  even  though  I  was 
no  more  than  a  boy. 

Stephen  had  won  his  way  upward,  and  why  might 
not  I  ?  True,  there  were  times  when  my  heart  grew 
cowardly;  but  as  I  figured  it  to  myself  at  such 
moments,  I  was  too  timorous  even  to  run,  and  there- 
fore might  gain  the  credit  of  being  a  hero,  when  in 
reality,  had  I  been  a  trifle  more  brave,  I  might  have 
shown   the  white  feather. 

Perhaps  it  is  not  well  for  me  to  set  down  all  that 
was  in  my  mind  when  I  went  on  board  the  Essex^ 
for  it  can  be  of  no  especial  interest  to  those  who  may 
chance  to  read  what  is  written  here.  It  is  enough 
if  I  say  that  two  days  before  the  Essex  left  the  Dela- 
ware River,  or  in  other  words,  on  the  28th  of  October 
in  the  year  18 12,  I  was  rated  on  her  papers  as  "boy," 
and  had  already  begun  to  make  the  acquaintance  of 
one  Philip  Robbins,  a  lad  of  about  my  own  age,  who 
held  the  same  rank.  If  there  had  been  any  lower 
station  aboard  the  frigate,  of  a  truth  we  two  would 
have  been  found  occupying  it,  for  he  knew  no  more 
concerning  a  seaman's  duty  than  did  I. 

A  certain  portion  of  the  cruise,  which  proved  to  be 
one  of  the  most  adventurous  ever  made  by  a  vessel 
of  war,  must  be  omitted  here  for  the  very  good  reason 


INTRODUCING   MYSELF.  1 9 

that  I  have  little  or  no  knowledge  concerning  it.  Dur- 
ing three  days  after  we  left  the  capes  of  the  Delaware 
it  was  to  PhiHp  Robbins  and  myself  as  if  we  lingered 
in  the  very  shadow  of  death,  and  while  so  lingering 
received  no  word  of  cheer  from  those  around  us 
because  of  the  fact  that  we  were  enduring  only  that 
which  every  lad  must  endure  who  sets  out  to  learn  the 
trade  of  a  sailor.  Sick  .-*  It  was  to  me  as  if  that 
man  who  should  put  an  end  to  my  life  would  have 
been  rendering  me  a  service,  for  I  doubted  not  but 
that  death  must  eventually  come,  and  only  when  it 
did  would  I  be  free  from  the  pangs  of  that  overpower- 
ing illness  which  beset  me. 

Both  Philip  and  I  had  vaunted  ourselves  before  the 
lads  of  Philadelphia  because  we  could  lay  claim  to 
being  members  of  the  crew  of  the  Essex ;  but  from 
the  moment  the  good  ship  courtesied  to  the  swell  of 
the  Atlantic  until  we  were  recovered  and  could  laugh 
at  the  past,  either  of  us  would  willingly  have  given 
up  all  which  we  prized  most  dearly  in  the  world  for 
the  sake  of  being  set  back  on  shore  in  the  humblest 
station  that  might  be  imagined. 

It  is  enough  if  I  say  that  we  gained  the  experience 
which  comes  to  all  who  venture  upon  the  sea,  whether 
for  pleasure  or  for  profit,  and  once  having  gained  it, 


20  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX. 

were  in  proper  condition  ever  after  to  laugh  at  those 
who  might  be  learning  the  same  severe  and  disagree- 
able lesson. 

There  was  never  a  man  on  board  the  ship  who  did 
not  know  that  she  was  bound  for  the  purpose  firstly, 
of  capturing  any  English  vessels  that  we  might  be 
able  to  cope  with,  and  secondly,  to  come  across  the 
Constitution  and  the  Hornet^  with  which  ships  we 
would  afterward  cruise  in  company. 

Among  our  crew,  and  there  were,  counting  officers 
as  well  as  men,  three  hundred  and  nineteen  all  told, 
were  a  dozen  or  more  who  had  fought  under  Preble 
at  Tripoli;  and  while  we  were  headed  for  Port  Praya 
we  heard  so  many  yarns  concerning  the  doings  of 
our  fleet  with  the  Barbary  pirates  as  would  more  than 
suffice  to  fill  a  dozen  such  books  as  I  count  this  will 
make.  Therefore  it  is  not  well  that  I  attempt  to  set 
down  any  of  them,  entertaining  though  the  least  excit- 
ing would  prove. 

When  Philip  and  I  signed  our  names  to  the  ship's 
papers,  both  believed  that  we  should  be  called  upon 
to  take  part  in  sea  battles  from  the  time  we  gained 
the  offing  until  we  were  once  more  in  port;  but  yet 
there  was  nothing  of  bloodshed,  save  such  as  could  be 
found  in  the  yarns  spun  by  the  men,  from  the  time  of 


INTRODUCING   MYSELF.  21 

sailing  until  the  27th  of  November,  when  we  sighted 
the  mountains  of  St.  Jago  and  entered  the  harbor  of 
Port  Praya,  hoping  there  to  gain  some  news  of  Com- 
modore Bainbridge. 

Nothing  was  learned,  however,  as  we  on  the  gun- 
deck  soon  came  to  know;  for  it  must  be  understood 
that  the  crew  soon  have  repeated  to  them  every  word 
which  is  spoken  aft.  Some  old  shellback  hears  a  bit 
now  and  then,  and  by  piecing  the  fragments  together 
generally  hits  upon  the  truth ;  while  the  marines  on 
guard  are  ever  ready  to  carry  forward  such  scraps  of 
conversation  as  they  have  overheard  when  on  duty. 
It  is  thus,  as  I  have  said,  that  the  ordinary  seaman, 
who  is  supposed  to  be  in  ignorance  of  everything  save 
the  happenings  of  the  moment,  is  generally  possessed 
within  a  few  hours  of  all  the  information  gained  by 
his  superior  officers. 

All  we  got  from  the  Portuguese  governor  of  Port 
Praya  was  a  bountiful  supply  of  pigs,  sheep,  poultry, 
and  fruit,  and  it  can  well  be  supposed  that  our  officers 
were  not  exerting  themselves  to  let  him  understand 
exactly  why  we  had  to  enter  the  port.  When  we  set 
sail  again,  it  was  on  a  seaward  course,  as  if  we  were 
bound  for  an  African  port ;  but  as  soon  as  we  were 
beyond  sight  of  land  the  ship  was  hauled  around  to 


22  WITH    PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

the  southwest,  and  on  the  nth  of  December  we 
crossed  the  equator  in  longitude  30°  west. 

Philip  and  I  were  in  no  very  comfortable  frame  of 
mind  as  we  neared  the  equator,  knowing  full  well 
that  lads,  and  for  that  matter  seamen,  who  have  never 
crossed  the  imaginary  line,  are  subjected  to  rough  if  not 
absolutely  brutal  treatment  at  the  hands  of  every  mess- 
mate ;  and  we  expected,  because  of  certain  remarks  that 
had  been  made,  to  receive  an  unusually  severe  dose. 

But  fortune  favored  Captain  Porter  as  well  as  our 
humble  selves ;  for  just  at  noon,  when  the  men  were 
making  ready  to  introduce  us  to  King  Neptune,  a 
Britisher  hove  in  sight,  and  there  was  no  longer 
thought  of  playing  pranks.  The  enemy  had  been 
sighted  at  last,  and  even  the  eldest  among  us  were 
quivering  with  excitement,  for  it  was  believed  that  our 
success  or  failure  in  this  first  enterprise  which  pre- 
sented itself  would  indicate  the  results  of  the  voyage. 

I  was  burning  with  a  desire  to  question  my  cousin 
McKnight  as  to  what  might  possibly  be  the  result  of 
losing  this  craft ;  but  you  must  understand  that  a  boy 
on  board  a  frigate  is  not  supposed  to  speak  to  his 
superior  officer  without  permission.  Even  had  the 
lieutenant  been  my  father,  I  should  have  been  forced 
by   the   rules   of   the    ship    to    keep    at   quite    as    re- 


INTRODUCING   MYSELF.  23 

spectful  a  distance  from  him  as  from  Captain  Porter 
himself. 

Up  to  this  time  neither  Philip  nor  I  had  succeeded 
in  cultivating  the  acquaintance  of  the  older  members 
of  the  crew ;  therefore  we  stood  alone,  so  to  speak, 
ignorant  of  what  might  be  the  possibilities,  but  not 
daring  to  ask  a  single  question  lest  we  bring  the 
ridicule  of  the  seamen  upon  us. 

If  the  success  of  this  first  venture  since  we  left 
port  had  been  a  true  token  of  the  entire  voyage,  then 
were  Philip  Robbins  and  myself  to  reap  the  greatest 
possible  benefit  from  it ;  for  when  the  Essex  was  finally 
come  up  with  the  Britisher  on  the  following  day,  we 
lads  not  only  aided  in  the  capture  of  the  rich  prize, 
but  made  ourselves  such  a  friend  among  the  crew  as 
we  most  needed. 

A  lad  on  board  a  man-of-war  sees  hard  lines  if  there 
be  not  one  among  the  older  seamen  who  stands  in  a 
certain  degree  sponsor  for  him ;  otherwise  the  younger 
members  of  the  crew  will  put  upon  him  until  his  is 
indeed  a  slavish  life.  Now  up  to  this  day  we  boys 
could  call  no  man  our  friend,  and  in  this  I  am  not 
counting  my  cousin,  the  lieutenant,  for  his  kindness 
toward  us  would  count  for  but  little  while  we  were 
among  our  shipmates. 


24  WITH    PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

However,  I  am  saying  overly  much  of  myself,  and 
perchance  may  be  accused  of  giving  undue  importance 
to  those  members  of  the  ship's  company  who  were 
looked  upon  as  of  no  especial  consequence. 

As  I  have  said,  we  crossed  the  equator  and  sighted 
a  strange  sail  on  the  same  day.  As  a  matter  of  course 
chase  was  made  at  once,  and  before  the  sun  went  down 
we  knew  beyond  a  peradventure  that  at  last  we  had 
before  us  one  of  the  enemy's  vessels. 

There  was  nothing  particularly  interesting  in  the 
chase  as  it  presented  itself  to  me.  During  the  greater 
portion  of  the  time  Philip  and  I  were  kept  at  work 
below  by  one  task-master  or  another,  and  all  we  knew 
regarding  our  chances  of  overhauling  the  stranger  was 
what  could  be  gathered  from  those  who  came  near 
where  we  were.  When  night  fell,  and  we  lads  were 
at  liberty  to  go  on  deck,  there  was  absolutely  nothing 
to  be  seen. 

In  the  morning,  however,  when  the  first  shot  was 
fired,  just  before  daybreak,  Philip  and  I  tumbled  out 
of  our  hammocks,  wild  with  excitement,  and  at  the 
same  time  inwardly  quaking  lest  peradventure  we  were 
upon  the  eve  of  a  naval  engagertient. 

I  question  if  any  orders,  however  strict,  could  have 
kept  us  below.     We  forgot  for  the  moment  that  one 


INTRODUCING   MYSELF.  25 

is  not  allowed  to  roam  over  a  naval  vessel  at  will,  but 
clambered  on  deck  as  if  free  to  follow  our  every  incli- 
nation;  and  well  for  us,  perhaps,  was  it  that  both 
officers  and  crew  were  considerably  excited  at  the 
prospect  of  finally  taking  a  prize,  otherwise  we  might 
have  been  treated  to  a  dose  of  the  rope's  end  because 
of  having  unwittingly  ventured  so  far  aft. 

The  stranger  was  the  British  government  packet, 
Nocton,  carrying  ten  guns,  and  had  been  hove  to  when 
our  shot  went*across  her  bow.  There  was  no  attempt 
made  at  resistance,  and  she  fell  into  our  hands  as  a 
ripe  apple  falls  from  the  tree,  with  no  particular  effort 
on  our  part. 

Later,  and  while  the  prize  crew  was  being  told  off 
to  take  possession  of  her,  we  learned  that  she  carried 
thiFty-one  men,  was  bound  for  Falmouth,  and  had  on 
board  fifty-five  thousand  dollars  in  gold  and  silver 
coin. 

Lieutenant  Finch  was  made  prize-master,  and  a  crew 
of  seventeen  told  off  to  man  the  packet;  for  Captain 
Porter  counted  on  sending  her  to  the  United  States, 
she  being  a  craft  that  would  make  a  reasonably  good 
addition  to  our  small  navy. 

These  men  were  transferred  from  our  ship  to  the 
prize  without  delay,  and  then  was  begun  the  work  of 


26  '         WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

bringing  back  the  specie,  —  a  task,  it  is  needless  to  say, 
in  which  Philip  and  I  had  no  share. 

The  scene  was  such,  however,  as  to  attract  the  atten- 
tion of  any  one,  however  much  experience  he  might 
have  had  in  such  matters,  and  we  lads  watched  with 
breathless  eagerness  all  the  manoeuvres,  as  the  two 
vessels  rolled  lazily  upon  the  long  swell,  while  the 
small  boats  plied  to  and  fro  like  ants.  We  gazed  curi- 
ously at  the  iron-bound  boxes  which  were  said  to  be 
filled  with  gold  or  silver,  and  in  our  ignorance  it 
seemed  as  if  already  was  the  cruise  a  success,  since 
we  had  taken  from  the  enemy  such  a  vast  amount  of 
money. 

Among  the  crews  of  our  boats  was  a  seaman  by 
the  name  of  Hiram  Hackett,  with  whom  Phihp  and 
I  had  vainly  tried  to  scrape  an  acquaintance.  A 
weather-beaten  old  shellback  was  he,  who  had,  against 
his  will,  served  the  king,  having  been  made  prisoner 
by  one  of  the  press-gangs,  and  who  escaped  only  a 
few  months  before  enlisting  on  board  the  Essex. 

His  shipmates  looked  up  to  him  as  to  a  man  of 
great  experience,  and  well  they  might,  for  I  question 
if  Hiram  Hackett  had  not  seen  more  of  the  ups  and 
downs  of  a  sailor's  life  than  any  among  us.  He  was 
the  only  member  of  the  crew  who  had  not  made  sport 


INTRODUCING   MYSELF.  2/ 

of,  or  imposed  upon,  us  two  in  some  way ;  but  yet 
never  a  kindly  word  had  he  given  us. 

Master  Hackett  was  pulling  the  bow  oar  of  No.  2 
boat  when  she  came  alongside  with  a  load  of  stores, 
for  Captain  Porter  was  taking  from  the  prize  such 
provisions  as  would  not  be  needed  during  the  home- 
ward voyage. 

The  goods  were  being  hoisted  out  while  the  boats 
lay  a  few  yards  off  our  lee  rail;  and  as  this  work 
was  being  done  a  cheese  incased  in  a  wooden  box 
slipped  from  the  sUng,  and,  falling,  struck  Master 
Hackett  a  glancing  blow  on  the  head  and  shoulder, 
knocking  him  senseless  into  the  sea. 

The  only  thought  in  my  mind  at  the  instant,  and 
Philip  and  I  were  perched  on  the  brig's  rail  directly 
opposite  the  boat,  was  that  the  seaman,  having  been 
rendered  unconscious  by  the  blow,  would  be  quickly 
drowned;  and  without  stopping  to  think  of  possible 
danger,  I  leaped  overboard. 

Philip  was  moved  by  the  same  impulse  at  the  same 
instant,  and  we  struck  the  water  side  by  side. 

Looking  back  upon  that  attempt  at  rescue,  after  so 
many  years  of  experience,  I  believe  of  a  verity  that 
not  once  in  twenty  times  would  two  lads  succeed  in 
the  effort;  for  the  chances  were  that  we  should  come 


28  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

up  directly  beneath  the  frigate,  or,  as  we  rose  to  the 
surface,  be  dashed  against  the  hull  with  force  suffi- 
cient to  kill  us. 

As  it  was,  however,  we  went  down  side  by  side 
until  we  came  in  contact  with  the  man  we  would 
save,  and  him  we  brought  to  the  surface  to  windward 
of  the  boat,  yet  so  near  her  that  it  was  only  necessary 
the  crew  should  reach  out  and  pull  us  on  board. 

We  had  done  nothing  which  merited  praise,  —  in 
fact,  should  have  been  blamed  for  interfering  when 
we  might  have  hampered  the  movements  of  those 
who  knew  better  what  ought  to  be  done ;  and  yet 
Captain  Porter  was  pleased  to  compliment  us  when 
we  clambered  on  board  looking  like  a  couple  of  half- 
drowned  rats,  and  the  sailors  clasped  us  by  the  hands 
as  if  to  say  that  in  their  opinion  we  had  proved  our- 
selves worthy  to  be  called  shipmates. 

It  was  natural  that  I  should  be  somewhat  puffed 
up  by  the  attention  which  was  paid  us ;  but  I  little 
dreamed  what  an  important  bearing  it  would  have 
upon  our  lives. 

The  old  sailor,  still  unconscious,  was  taken  below ; 
Philip  and  I  overhung  the  rail  once  more,  watching 
the  men  as  they  transferred  the  provisions  and  specie, 
for  the  work  had  not  been  interrupted  many  moments 


INTRODUCING   MYSELF.  29 

by  the  mishap,  and  all  was  as  before,  save  for  that 
sense  of  satisfaction  and  pride  within  my  heart  when 
Master  Hackett,  looking  none  the  worse  for  the  blow 
and  the  ducking,  came  up  behind  us. 

We  were  not  aware  of  his  presence  until  he  laid 
his  hands  on  our  shoulders,  and  said  in  a  deep,  grave 
voice,  much  as  if  speaking  to  himself :  — 

**  I  don't  know  whether  it  was  a  service  or  con- 
trariwise that  you  lads  did  me,  for  I'm  told  that  but 
for  your  tumblin'  over  the  rail  I  was  like  to  have 
lost  the  number  of  my  mess,  bein'  knocked  out  by  the 
blow  in  such  fashion  that  I  went  down  like  a  stone, 
with  but  little  chance  of  risin'." 

I  looked  around  at  the  old  sailor,  hardly  understand- 
ing what  he  said ;  and  he,  gazing  to  windward  as  if  there 
he  saw  something  which  we  could  not,  continued :  — 

"An  old  shellback  like  me  is  of  but  little  account; 
and  if  he  hangs  on  to  life,  mayhap  it's  only  to  pay 
off  some  grudge  which  them  as  claim  to  know  say 
shouldn't  be  harbored." 

I  knew  from  this  that  he  referred  to  the  grudge 
he  owed  the  Britishers  for  having  pressed  him  into 
the  king's  service,  and  wondered  why  he  should  speak 
in  such  a  solemn  tone  when  it  stood  to  reason  he  ought 
to  be  rejoicing  because  of  having  escaped  death. 


30  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE   ESSEX. 

It  was  a  full  minute  before  the  old  man  went  on, 
and  then  he  spoke  more  nearly  natural,  as  it  seemed 
to  me :  — 

"We'll  set  it  down  that  you  two  lads  have  done  a 
big  service  —  that  you  saved  my  life  —  an'  it  isn't 
much  for  me  to  say  that  I'm  obliged  to  you,  'cause 
mere  words  are  cheap.  Boys  aboard  a  ship  stand  in 
need  of  a  friendly  hand,  an'  that's  what  I'm  allowin' 
to  hold  out  toward  you  until  such  time  as  I've  squared 
off  the  account  begun  this  day.  Whatsoever  a  sailor- 
man  can  do  for  a  mate,  I'm  bound  to  do  for  you;  an' 
all  hands  are  to  understand  that  what's  sauce  for  you 
is  certain  to  be  sauce  for  me,  or  they'll  know  the  reason 
why." 

Having  said  this.  Master  Hackett  went  aft  to  where 
Lieutenant  McKnight  was  standing,  tugged  at  a  wisp 
of  hair  which  hung  over  his  forehead,  and  at  the  same 
time  scraped  one  foot  behind  him,  which  answered  for 
a  sailor's  bow,  saying  as  he  did  so :  — 

"I'm  ready  for  duty,  sir." 

"Your  place  in  the  boat  has  been  taken,  therefore 
you  are  at  liberty  until  we  get  under  way,"  my  cousin 
said  with  a  smile,  whereupon  the  old  man  went  below, 
never  so  much  as  looking  at  Philip  or  me. 

It    seemed    as   if    his    manner   was   decidedly   curt. 


INTRODUCING  MYSELF.  3 1 

After  having  voluntarily  acknowledged  that  we  saved 
his  life,  it  appeared  as  if  he  might  have  said  some- 
thing more,  or  at  least  stood  near  us  a  few  moments 
to  let  it  be  seen  that  he  had  indeed  taken  us  under 
his  wing,  and  I  said  laughingly  to  Philip :  — 

*'  Master  Hackett  is  proving  to  us  that  words  are 
indeed  cheap.  He  has  thanked  us,  and  that  seems  to 
be  all  that  is  necessary." 

"And  so  it  is,"  Philip  replied,  for  he  was  a  better- 
natured  lad  than  I  by  far,  and  ever  ready  to  make 
excuses  where  I  found  fault.  "  It  was  really  nothing 
of  consequence  for  us  to  go  overboard  where  there 
are  so  many  to  lend  a  helping  hand,  and  when  we 
came  on  deck  again  I  was  trembling  with  fear  lest 
one  of  the  officers  give  us  a  tongue  lashing  for  put- 
ting ourselves  forward  at  such  a  time." 

"  If  we  hadn't  done  so,  Master  Hackett  would  likely 
have  gone  to  the  bottom,  for  I  saw  no  one  making 
ready  to  go  after  him." 

''You  didn't  give  them  time,  Ezra  McKnight," 
Philip  replied  laughingly.  "The  old  man  had  no 
more  than  struck  the  water  before  we  were  on  the 
rail;  and  yet  I  am  not  to  be  praised  for  it,  because, 
to  tell  the  truth,  I  didn't  realize  what  I  was  about." 

That  same  was  true  in  my  case ;  but  there  was  no 


32  WITH    PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

reason  just  then  why  I  should  speak  overly  much 
regarding  it  when  I  was  hungering  for  yet  more 
praise,  and  I  put  an  end  to  the  conversation  by  turn- 
ing my  attention  once  more  to  the  work  going  on 
before  us. 

The  task  of  transferring  the  provisions  and  specie 
to  our  ship  was  not  a  long  one,  and  perhaps  no  more 
than  three  hours  elapsed  from  the  time  the  Nocton 
hove  to  until  the  Essex  was  on  her  course  once  more, 
while  the  prize,  with  her  prisoners  below  decks,  was 
stretching  off  for  the  home  port. 

Before  the  sun  set  on  this  night,  Philip  and  I  had 
good  proof  that  Master  Hackett's  gratitude  was  more 
than  the  mere  thanks  we  had  received.  Every  mem- 
ber of  the  crew  treated  us  in  a  different  fashion  — 
more  as  if  we  were  in  fact  shipmates,  although  I  saw 
no  particular  change  in  the  old  man's  behavior. 

It  is  difficult  for  me  to  explain  the  difference  in  our 
positions,  and  yet  it  was  very  decided.  We  were  called 
upon  to  do  quite  as  much  work,  to  wait  upon  this  one 
or  that  one  as  before,  and  yet  the  orders  were  given 
in  a  more  friendly  tone.  There  were  not  so  many 
kicks  bestowed  upon  us,  nor  did  a  single  man  lay  a 
rope's  end  upon  our  backs;  whereas  from  the  time  of 
leaving    port    until   we   leaped   overboard   for   Master 


INTRODUCING   MYSELF.  33 

Hackett  I  question  if  there  was  a  waking  hour  when 
we  did  not  receive  a  blow  from  some  one. 

The  old  man  who  had  declared  he  would  stand  our 
friend  no  longer  wore  an  air  which  seemed  to  forbid 
our  coming  nearer  him,  and  yet  I  cannot  say  that  he 
spoke  any  very  kindly  words ;  but  we  understood 
that,  if  ever  we  needed  a  helping  hand,  his  would  be 
stretched  forth. 

That  night  when  we  were  ready  to  get  into  our 
hammocks,  Philip  said  to  me  with  a  certain  tone  of 
triumph :  — 

"This  has  been  a  lucky  day  for  the  Essex.  She 
has  captured  a  prize  that  will  bring  all  hands  money 
with  which  to  tassel  our  handkerchiefs,  if  it  be  so  the 
Nocton  reaches  a  home  port,  and  Captain  Porter  has 
the  credit  of  gathering  in  fifty-five  thousand  dollars 
from  the  enemy;  but  I  question  if  any  aboard  have 
been  so  fortunate  since  sunrise  as  you  and  me,  for  we 
have  suddenly  become  shipmates  with  the  one  man 
among  all  the  crew  who  is  able  to  put  us  on  a  better 
footing  with  those  who  have  lorded  it  over  us." 


CHAPTER   II. 

THE  COAST  OF   CHILI. 

IN  order  to  hold  a  true  course  to  my  story,  if  per- 
chance it  should  prove  to  be  a  story,  it  is  necessary 
I  set  down  here  very  much  of  what  is  little  more  than 
pricking  out  on  a  chart  the  movements  of  the  Essex ^ 
for  many  a  long,  weary  day  passed  before  we  had  oppor- 
tunity to  work  harm  to  shipping  belonging  to  subjects 
of  the  English  king,  whom  we  were  teaching  a  lesson 
in  good  manners. 

On  the  second  day  after  the  capture  of  the  Nocton 
we  hove  into  sight  the  island  of  Fernando  de  No- 
ronha;  and  as  our  commander  had  been  told  at  this 
place  we  might  gain  information  of  Commodore  Bain- 
bridge's  squadron,  we  came  to  anchor,  but  not  before 
the  ship  had  been  disguised  as  a  merchantman. 

Then,  flying  English  colors,  we  let  go  our  ground 
tackle  off  the  port,  and  Lieutenant  Downes  went 
ashore  to  ask  permission  of  the  governor  for  us  to 
take  on  water  and  such  stores  as  might  readily  be 
procured. 

34 


THE  COAST   OF  CHILI.  35 

The  lieutenant  came  back  with  a  quantity  of  fruit 
for  the  cabin,  and  information  that  two  alleged  British 
vessels  of  war  had  called  at  the  island  a  week  pre- 
vious, and  left  there  a  letter  for  Sir  James  Yeo  of  his 
Majesty's  ship  Southampton. 

It  seems,  as  we  of  the  crew  learned  later,  that  these 
were  the  names  agreed  upon  between  Commodore 
Bainbridge  and  our  commander,  to  be  used  in  an  un- 
friendly port.  Captain  Porter  believed  that  a  lie  was 
not  a  lie  when  told  for  the  benefit  of  one's  country, 
therefore  he  sent  the  lieutenant  back  with  a  present 
of  cheese  and  ale,  and  the  assurance  that  a  gentle- 
man on  board  our  vessel,  a  friend  of  Sir  James  Yeo's, 
counted  on  saiHng  for  England  from  Brazil,  and  would 
take  the  letter  with  him. 

The  governor  could  do  no  less  than  deliver  up  the 
missive;  and  on  being  brought  aboard  it  was  found 
to  be  only  such  a  letter  as  one  English  commander 
might  send  to  another,  with  nothing  in  it  to  show 
that  the  writer  was  an  American. 

Captain  Porter  had  no  idea  that  the  commodore 
would  be  such  a  simple  as  to  trust  his  secret  with  a 
Britisher,  and  therefore  set  about  trying  to  solve  the 
mystery  which  he  felt  confident  was  contained  in  the 
letter. 


36  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

Finally,  by  holding  the  sheet  for  some  time  over  a 
lighted  candle,  it  was  found  that  a  second  message 
had  been  written  in  what  is  known  as  sympathetic 
ink,  and  this  the  heat  brought  out  plainly,  showing, 
as  was  afterward  told  us  on  the  gun-deck,  the  follow- 
ing lines  :  — 

*'  I  am  bound  for  St.  Salvador,  thence  off  Cape 
Frio,  where  I  intend  to  cruise  until  the  ist  of  January. 
Go  off  Cape  Frio,  to  the  northward  of  Rio  Janeiro, 
and  keep  a  lookout  for  me." 

It  surely  seemed  now  as  if  the  course  was  marked 
out  for  us  clearly,  and  that  we  would  soon  be  in  the 
company  of  friends ;  but  it  was  not  to  come  about, 
else  I  might  not  be  trying  to  set  down  the  particu- 
lars of  that  which  proved  to  be  a  most  extraordinary 
voyage. 

Day  after  day  we  cruised  up  and  down  the  Bra- 
zilian coast  between  Cape  Frio  and  St.  Catherine, 
but  meeting  neither  American  nor  English  vessels. 
The  Portuguese  craft  which  we  spoke  from  time  to 
time  could  give  us  no  information ;  and  from  Captain 
Porter  down  to  Phil  Robbins  and  myself,  all  hands 
were  most  decidedly  puzzled  to  know  what  would  be 
the  outcome  of  the  voyage,  when  it  seemed,  despite 
the  luck  which  attended  us  in  the  beginning,  that  we 


THE  COAST  OF  CHILI.  37 

had  cut  ourselves  off  so  completely  from  both  friend 
and  foe  that  it  might  not  be  possible  to  get  back. 

The  old  shellbacks  told  us  youngsters  that  the 
Brazilian  government,  being  at  peace  with  England, 
would  not  allow  us  to  provision  the  ship  at  any  of 
their  ports,  and  it  was  unnecessary  we  be  told  that  the 
supplies  were  growing  lower  every  day.  With  three 
hundred  men  to  be  fed,  even  a  full  cargo  of  stores 
soon  grows  slim. 

Finally  one  of  the  marines  who  had  been  on  guard 
in  the  cabin,  told  us  that  he  heard  Captain  Porter 
say  to  some  of  his  officers  that  it  had  now  come  to 
a  choice  between  capture,  a  blockade,  or  starvation. 

As  a  matter  of  course  all  the  sea  lawyers  on  the 
gun-deck  argued  the  matter  in  and  out  of  season, 
laying  down  the  law  in  great  shape,  according  to 
their  own  ideas ;  but,  so  far  as  Phil  or  I  could  see, 
not  suggesting  anything  which  offered  the  slightest 
hope  of  relief. 

I  might  fill  many  pages  with  an  account  of  what 
we  two  lads  thought  and  said  during  this  time  when 
it  appeared  as  if  the  Essex  had  got  the  worst  of  the 
voyage,  although  having  captured  the  only  enemy 
she  came  across ;  but  it  would  be  of  little  interest  to 
a  stranger  if  I  should  make  the  attempt.     It  is  enough 


J 

38  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE   ESSEX. 

to  say  that  every  man  of  the  crew,  and  the  boys,  too, 
for  the  matter  of  that,  believed  we  would  have  a  taste 
of  an  English  prison  before  many  days  had  passed, 
when,  suddenly,  came  most  startling  news  from  one 
of  the  marines  who  had  been  on  duty  aft. 

The  man  declared,  and  we  afterward  came  to  know 
he  spoke  no  more  than  the  truth,  that  he  had  over- 
heard a  consultation  between  Captain  Porter  and  his 
officers,  when  it  was  decided  that,  having  failed  to 
find  Commodore  Bainbridge,  we  were  to  double  Cape 
Horn  and  strike  a  blow  at  the  British  whaling  fleet 
in  the  Pacific. 

Captain  Porter  arguea,  so  the  tale-bearing  marine 
told  us,  that  among  the  whalers  he  stood  a  good 
chance  of  replenishing  his  naval  stores,  for  the 
vessels  in  that  trade  were  always  well  armed,  and  it 
would  be  possible  to  provision  the  ship  as  often  as 
might  be  necessary,  once  we  were  among  the  South 
Sea  Islands.  He  had  decided  to  live  on  the  enemy, 
and  it  only  remained  to  be  seen  whether  that  might 
indeed  be  possible. 

Of  all  who  heard  the  story  as  told  by  the  marine, 
none  believed  it  save  Master  Hackett;  and  he  said, 
in  answer  to  my  question  as  to  whether  he  thought 
we  might  be  able  to  come  out  of  the  scrape  with 
whole  skins :  — 


THE  COAST   OF  CHILI.  39 

"  Ay,  that  I  do,  lad ;  an'  it's  in  my  mind  that  the 
Essex  can  do  British  shippin'  more  harm  in  the 
Pacific  than  would  be  possible  elsewhere.  For  a 
time  we'll  have  everything  our  own  way,  an'  then 
the  king  will  have  a  pretty  good  idee  of  what  the 
Yankees  can  do." 

*'  But  how  will  it  be  possible  to  get  home.  Master 
Hackett .'' "  I  asked,  thinking  more  of  my  own  safety 
than  of  brave  deeds  to  be  accomplished. 

**  That's  somethin'  that  don't  concern  us,  —  leastways, 
not  until  the  Essex  has  come  to  the  end  of  her  cruise. 
We've  shipped  to  do  all  the  harm  we  can  to  English- 
men, for  that's  the  meanin*  of  war,  lad.  After  we've 
done  our  duty  will  be  time  enough  to  think  about 
ourselves,  though  I'm  allowin'  that  if  we  ever  see 
the  United  States  again  it'll  be  after  we've  had  a 
reasonably  long  taste  of  British  prisons." 

Such  talk  as  that  was  not  calculated  to  make  me 
very  comfortable  in  mind.  As  a  matter  of  course  I 
wanted  to  strike  a  blow  at  the  king,  since  we'd 
shipped  for  that  purpose;  but  I  wasn't  well  pleased 
at  doing  so  when  it  was  a  foregone  conclusion  that  the 
task  would  be  concluded  only  when  we  were  prisoners. 
We  had  captured  a  rich  prize  already,  and  I  for  one 
would   have   felt   better   if   it   had   been   decided  that 


40  WITH  PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

we  were  to  take  the  chances  of  starvation  while 
working  back  to  the  home  port.  This  cutting  loosd, 
as  it  were,  did  not   strike   me  in  a  pleasant   fashion. 

Before  many  hours  had  passed,  however,  the  doubt- 
ers understood  that  the  marine  had  told  no  more  than 
the  truth. 

We  were  off  the  harbor  of  St.  Catherine  when  Cap- 
tain Porter  decided  to  take  chances  which  would  have 
deterred  many  another,  and  next  morning,  that  is  to 
say,  on  the  26th  day  of  January,  18 13,  the  Essex  was 
headed  down  the  coast  for  Cape  Horn. 

It  seemed  strange  to  me  at  the  time,  and  even  at 
this  late  day  I  am  moved  to  wonderment  that  such 
should  have  been  the  case  —  it  seemed  strange,  I  say, 
that  almost  without  exception  the  members  of  our 
crew  hailed  with  delight  the  captain's  determination 
to  push  forward  rather  than  turn  back.  Surely  it  was 
a  hazardous  venture  to  leave  friendly  ports  behind, 
and  sail  away  toward  that  portion  of  the  world  where 
the  power  of  the  British  was  exceeding  strong. 

Those  among  the  crew  who  argued  in  favor  of  thus 
trying  our  fortunes  in  the  Pacific  Ocean  were 'forced 
to  admit  that  we  would  be  treated  with  but  scant 
courtesy  by  the  small  nations,  who  dared  not  brave 
the  anger  of  the  English  by  showing  friendship  for 


THE  COAST   OF   CHILI.  4 1 

US.  Ours  was  but  a  single  vessel  of  thirty-two  guns, 
and  should  we  come  upon  two  or  three  whalers  at 
the  same  time,  it  was  reasonable  to  believe  that  we 
might  find  ourselves  opposed  by  a  weight  of  metal 
exceeding  our  own. 

We  could  not  depend  upon  the  government  of  the 
United  States  for  so  much  as  a  spare  belaying-pin, 
and  all  we  might  get,  whether  in  the  way  of  stores  or 
ammunition,  must  come  from  the  enemy.  I  do  not 
believe  any  vessel  of  war  was  ever  sent  into  such 
danger  of  every  form,  and  it  is  hardly  to  be  won- 
dered at  that  Phil  Robbins  and  I  were  filled  with 
apprehension  as  to  the  result  of  the  cruise,  more  par- 
ticularly since  we  heard  the  evils  described  in  most 
glowing  colors  during  nearly  every  hour  of  the  day, 
even  by  those  who  were  in  favor  of  the  enterprise. 

"We  didn't  ship  with  the  agreement  that  we'd  do 
our  best  to  run  into  every  possible  danger  when  it 
might  be  better  to  shape  a  course  for  home,"  Phil 
said,  in  what  was  very  Hke  a  mutinous  tone.  "  When 
it  comes  to  fighting  Britishers,  then  we're  bound  to 
risk  our  lives  in  the  hope  of  killing  them ;  but  sail- 
ing around  the  world  with  fair  chance  of  starving  to 
death  before  we  can  run  across  a  craft  of  any  kind, 
is  a  good  bit  outside  of  duty." 


42  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

Phil  was  not  the  only  member  of  the  crew  who 
spoke  in  much  the  same  tone,  and  yet  I  defy  any 
person  to  say  with  truth  that  we  were  in  the  sHghtest 
degree  mutinous  as  we  faced  such  a  venture  as  was 
never  known  before. 

Master  Hackett  seemed  well  content  on  the  day 
when  the  bow  of  the  Essex  was  turned  toward  the 
south  pole,  and  I  was  resolved  he  should  have  no 
opportunity  of  believing  that  Phil  and  I  were  afraid 
of  what  might  He  in  our  path. 

As  a  matter  of  course,  we  two  lads  discussed  the 
weighty  affair  in.  all  its  aspects,  enabled  to  do  so 
with  some  degree  of  fairness  because  of  the  opinions 
which  we  heard  on  every  side ;  but  we  took  good 
care  to  do  so  where  no  one  might  overhear  us. 

It  was  only  during  the  first  day  of  this  venturesome 
cruise,  however,  that  we  indulged  in  what  was  neither 
more  nor  less  than  mutinous  criticism  of  our  officers' 
plans;  for  within  twenty-four  hours  after  leaving  the 
harbor  of  St.  Catherine  the  wind  increased  to  a  full 
gale,  which  for  more  than  eighteen  days  showed  no 
signs  of  abatement. 

Never  before  had  I  believed  it  possible  that  a  ship 
could  be  so  tossed  and  buffeted  by  the  waves  without 
being  literally  torn  to  pieces !     It  was  as  if  our  craft 


THE  COAST  OF  CHILI.  43 

had  been  no  larger  than  a  long-boat,  and  I  dare 
venture  to  say  that  many  times  she  actually  stood 
on  end. 

Phil  and  I  were  both  sick  and  frightened,  and  in 
about  the  same  degree,  which  was  fortunate  for  us ; 
for  had  we  been  one  whit  less  ill,  we  might  have  lost 
our  wits  entirely.  Whenever  the  deathly  nausea  per- 
mitted of  thought  I  was  firmly  convinced  we  would 
all  go  to  the  bottom  before  making  Cape  Horn,  and 
by  the  time  this  idea  had  become  firmly  fixed  in  my 
mind  the  sickness  of  the  sea  overwhelmed  me  again, 
bringing  in  its  train  partial  unconsciousness  of  my 
surroundings. 

Nor  were  we  lads  alarmed  without  good  cause ;  it 
was  possible  to  understand  by  the  behavior  of  the 
crew,  at  such  times  as  we  were  able  to  understand 
anything,  that  every  man  jack  believed  the  Essex 
would  be  finally  overcome  in  her  struggle  with  the 
elements;  and  once,  when  the  turmoil  was  at  its 
height.  Master  Hackett  came  to  where  I  lay  in  my 
hammock  for  no  other  apparent  purpose  than  to  clasp 
my  hand. 

It  was  much  as  though  he  was  bidding  me  good-by, 
and  I  wept  bitter  tears  of  sorrow  because  I  was  not  to 
see  my  dear  mother  again  in  this  world. 


44  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX. 

I  could  write  very  much  concerning  the  dreary, 
painful  hours  we  spent  while  it  seemed  as  if  death 
stood  very  near  to  each  of  us;  but  it  is  not  well  to 
allow  such  personal  matters  to  interfere  with  the  tale 
of  what  was  accomplished  before  the  good  ship  Essex 
was  destroyed  through  a  British  trick  and  British 
cowardice. 

On  the  14th  day  of  February  Master  Hackett 
brought  word  to  Phil  and  me  that  we  were  at  last 
off  Cape  Horn ;  and  to  give  a  faint  idea  of  the  situa- 
tion I  will  set  down  the  fact  that,  old  seaman  though 
he  was,  it  had  become  absolutely  necessary  for  him  to 
crawl  along  the  gun-deck  like  a  crab,  otherwise  he 
would  have  been  flung  fore  and  aft  by  the  wild  move- 
ments of  the  ship. 

During  that  night  I  fancied  we  were  in  smoother 
water,  and  within  twenty-four  hours  it  was  possible 
for  Phil  and  me  to  leave  our  hammocks  with  some 
degree  of  safety. 

Almost  immediately  after  rounding  the  cape  the 
wind  shifted  to  the  southwest,  blowing  with  no  more 
force  than  was  needed  to  keep  our  canvas  full ;  and 
from  that  hour  we  began  to  live  once  more. 

We  skirted  the  coasts  of  Patagonia  and  Lower  Chili 
for  nineteen  days,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  the  glit- 


THE  COAST   OF  CHILI.  45 

tering  peaks  of  the  Andes  were  seen  far,  far  in  the 
distance,  and  those  who  had  been  most  despondent 
concerning  the  outcome  to  the  cruise,  now  bdgan  to 
believe  that  it  would  be  possible  for  us  to  give  a  good 
account  of  ourselves  to  the  people  at  home  before 
death  overtook  us. 

We  now  talked  of  taking  rich  prizes,  even  as  we 
previously  had  discussed  the  probability  of  immediate 
disaster,  and  speculated  as  to  how  we  might  weather 
the  cape  once  more  when,  the  work  having  been  ac- 
complished, we  would  be  homeward  bound. 

It  was  the  5th  day  of  March  when  we  were  off  the 
island  of  Mocha,  on  the  coast  of  Araucania,  with  the 
prospect  of  a  day  to  be  spent  on  shore  after  so  many 
dangers  had  been  encountered  and  passed. 

To  us  two  lads,  who  were  sick  with  the  odor  of  the 
salt  breeze,  the  scene  was  entrancing.  The  mountain 
on  the  island  towered  a  full  thousand  feet  from  the  sea 
line,  and  around  it  could  be  seen  countless  numbers  of 
birds,  while  in  the  surf  near  the  shore  hundreds  upon 
hundreds  of  seals  played  like  so  many  dogs. 

For  the  first  time  since  leaving  St.  Catherine  our 
ground  tackle  was  let  go,  and  word  came  from  the 
cabin  that  on  the  morrow  we  were  to  be  given  a  full 
day's  hunting.     This  last  was  become  a  real  necessity, 


46  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

rather  than  a  pleasure,  for  our  stores  were  sadly  in 
need  of  being  replenished ;  but  we  thought  not  of 
this  last  fact,  preferring  to  believe  that  permission  to 
go  ashore  had  been  given  solely  that  we  might  enjoy 
ourselves. 

And  what  a  day  it  proved  to  be  !  The  island  had  been 
inhabited  by  Spaniards  before  the  buccaneers  reigned 
in  that  region,  and  the  forest  was  literally  teeming  with 
hogs  and  horses  so  tame  that  but  little  skill  was  neces- 
sary to  shoot  them  down. 

From  sunrise  to  sunset  we  hunted,  and  before  noon 
had  proved  to  our  entire  satisfaction  that  horseflesh  was 
more  palatable  than  pork,  therefore  we  killed  no  more 
hogs  than  persisted  in  coming  within  easy  range.  By 
nightfall  we  had  fresh  meat  enough  to  furnish  us  with 
food  for  many  a  long  day,  provided  it  was  salted  down 
before  becoming  tainted. 

The  next  day  was  spent  in  caring  for  what  we  had 
captured,  and  in  filling  the  ship's  water-casks,  after 
which  we  were  in  fairly  good  condition  to  continue  the 
voyage.  The  eight-and-forty  hours  spent  on  shore  had 
been  sufficient  to  raise  the  courage  of  the  most  timorous, 
among  whom  could  be  counted  Phil  and  myself;  and 
all  hands  were  in  the  best  of  spirits  as  the  Essex  filled 
away  on  her  course  once  more,  despite  the  fact  that 


THE  COAST  OF   CHILI.  47 

there  was  no  possibility  of  receiving  aid  from  the  friends 
at  home. 

As  we  ran  up  the  coast  Captain  Porter  made  prepara- 
tions for  the  work  which  all  hoped  we  should  find  in 
plenty.  The  running  rigging  of  the  Essex  was  care- 
fully overhauled ;  the  ship  was  repainted  and  otherwise 
put  in  as  good  condition  as  was  possible  without  going 
into  dock.  The  boats  we  carried  —  seven  in  all — were 
strengthened  in  every  manner,  and  crews  told  off  for 
each,  so  that  at  a  moment's  notice  we  might  send  out  a 
flotilla  of  small  craft  against  an  enemy. 

Lieutenant  Downes  was  given  command  of  this  little 
squadron ;  and  from  the  way  in  which  he  looked  after 
the  armament,  we  knew  without  being  told  that  he  was 
ready  for  any  kind  of  fighting  which  might  come  his 
way. 

It  was  in  a  certain  sense  a  relief  to  Phil  and  myself 
when  the  boats  were  made  ready  for  independent 
action ;  as  a  matter  of  course,  our  strength  was  not 
increased  one  whit  by  such  means,  yet  it  seemed  to  us 
lads  that  we  were  in  much  better  trim  to  meet  an 
enemy  than  before  such  preparations  had  been  made. 

Greatly  to  our  disappointment  we  were  not  told  off 
as  members  of  the  boats'  crews ;  and  I  plucked  up 
sufficient   courage  to  ask  Master   Hackett   concerning 


48  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX. 

what  seemed  to  us  an  oversight,  hoping  he  might  aid 
us  in  receiving  treatment  such  as  we  beHeved  to  be  our 
due. 

"  Frettin'  because  you  haven't  been  given  an  inde- 
pendent command,  eh  ? "  he  said  with  a  laugh,  when  I 
had  made  what  was  little  less  than  a  complaint. 

"  We  are  not  such  fools  as  to  think  we  can  do  any- 
thing very  brave  or  wonderful;  but  at  the  same  time 
it  seems  much  as  if  we  might  perform  our  fair  share  of 
work,"  I  replied,  considerably  nettled  because  he  ap- 
peared to  treat  us  as  if  we  were  children. 

"  I'm  allowin',  lad,  that  you'll  be  called  on  for  all  the 
tasks  you  can  do  conveniently.  It  stands  to  reason 
that  the  pick  of  the  crew  should  be  detailed  for  the 
boats,  seein's  how  them  as  put  off  from  the  ship  under 
Lieutenant  Downes's  command  will  be  forced  to  jump 
lively,  both  as  to  fightin'  an'  work.  Now,  it  looks  to 
me  as  if  you  two  would  have  chances  enough,  once 
that  fleet  of  small  craft  have  left  us ;  for  the  Essex  will 
be  short-handed,  an'  you  lads'll  be  asked  to  do  the  duty 
of  men." 

With  this  we  were  content,  knowing  that  Master 
Hackett  would  not  buoy  us  up  with  false  hopes ;  and  it 
began  to  seem  as  if  we  might,  within  a  reasonably 
short  time,  show  that  we  were  made  of  such  material 


THE  COAST  OF  CHILI.  49 

as  warranted  our  being  reckoned  among  the  men  on 
board  the  Essex. 

From  the  day  of  leaving  the  island  of  Mocha  a 
watch  was  kept  for  the  enemy,  and  each  morning  we 
two  lads  tumbled  out  of  our  hammocks  firm  in  the 
belief  that  by  nightfall  we  should  be  in  chase  of 
another  prize.  Then,  as  the  sun  set  before  we  had 
sighted  the  British  flag,  we  felt  quite  as  positive  we 
should  see  it  when  the  morning  came  again. 

Thus  the  time  passed  in  anticipation  unfulfilled 
until  the  14th  day  of  March,  when,  on  rounding  the 
Point  of  Angels,  the  city  of  Valparaiso  lay  full  before 
us  like  something  which  had  suddenly  been  thrown  up 
by  the  sea. 

Until  this  moment  we  had  had  a  stiff  breeze,  such  as 
sent  the  Essex  along  at  a  full  ten  knots  an  hour ;  but 
on  rounding  the  point  the  wind  died  out  suddenly,  leav- 
ing us  becalmed  under  the  guns  of  a  battery,  which 
was  hardly  to  our  liking,  for  we  believed  Chili  was 
still  under  the  rule  of  Spain. 

Captain  Porter,  not  minded  to  take  any  more  chances 
than  was  absolutely  necessary,  had  hoisted  English 
colors ;  and  as  we  came  into  view  it  gave  me  a  most 
disagreeable  feeling  in  the  region  of  the  heart  to  see 
an  armed  American   brig  tricing  up  her   ports  as  she 


50  WITH  PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX. 

prepared  for  action,  although  I  could  not  restrain  a 
sensation  of  pride  that  my  countrymen  should  be  will- 
ing to  fight  at  an  instant's  notice,  and  against  great 
odds,  to  uphold  the  stars  and  stripes. 

Three  Spanish  ships  were  getting  under  way,  and 
Captain  Porter  understood  that  he  might  miss  many  a 
rich  prize  if  he  allowed  the  crews  of  those  vessels  to 
know  who  we  were  and  why  we  had  come. 

Therefore  it  was  that  three  boats'  crews  were  called 
away  to  pull  the  ship's  head  around  beyond  the  point, 
where  she  might  catch  so  much  of  a  breeze  as  was 
stirring  outside,  and  in  less  than  two  hours  we  were 
beyond  sight  of  the  city. 

Phil  and  I  mourned  the  necessity  of  being  forced  to 
leave  port  so  soon,  when  we  might  have  met  country- 
men who  could  give  us  later  news  from  home  than  we 
had;  but  Master  Hackett  did  much  toward  consoHng 
us  when  he  said  :  — 

"  Take  my  words  for  it,  lads,  we'll  be  in  the  harbor 
of  Valparaiso  before  you're  very  much  older.  The 
captain  didn't  count  on  lettin'  the  Spaniards  find  out 
who  we  are,  thus  puttin'  the  Britishers  on  their  guard." 

The  old  man  was  in  the  right,  as  was  usually  the  case, 
for  on  the  next  day  we  ran  into  port ;  and  our  anchors 
were  hardly  down  when  we  heard  important  news. 


THE  COAST  OF  CHILI.  >     V^v  51 

Chili  had  just  gained  her  independence  from  the 
Spaniards,  and  was  more  than  ready  to  welcome  us 
as  friends ;  but  it  was  reported  that  the  Viceroy  of 
Peru  was  fitting  out  armed  cruisers  to  prey  upon  the 
American  shipping  in  the  Pacific. 

Of  a  verity  we  had  arrived  in  the  nick  of  time,  and 
there  was  great  rejoicing  fore  and  aft  because  of  such 
fact.  So  long  as  we  could  keep  secret  from  the  British 
government  the  fact  of  our  whereabouts,  we  might 
work  the  enemy  great  damage  at  the  same  time  we 
protected  Yankee  vessels ;  and  even  after  it  was  known 
that  we  had  ventured  so  far  from  home,  there  was 
fair  opportunity  of  taking  many  a  prize  before  being 
overhauled  by  a  British  squadron. 

Well,  the  people  of  Valparaiso  gave  us  a  royal  wel- 
come. The  forts  saluted  the  stars  and  stripes  with 
twenty-one  guns ;  nine  shots  were  fired  by  the  armed 
brig,  and  we  replied  to  them  all,  as  a  matter  of  course, 
until  it  was  as  if  everybody  was  celebrating  the 
Fourth  of  July. 

The  American  Consul  General  came  down  from 
Santiago  to  greet  us ;  the  Chilians  strove  to  show  how 
friendly  they  felt  toward  the  United  States,  and  there 
was  a  great  time,  in  which  the  officers  gathered  most 
of  the  fun,  for  ordinary  seamen  are  not  counted  in  at 
such  affairs. 


52  WITH    PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

The  commissioned  officers  must  have  enjoyed  them- 
selves in  fine  style,  however,  and  we  of  the  crew 
managed  to  get  a  small  slice  of  the  welcome  which 
repaid  all  hands  for  the  long,  disagreeable  voyage. 

Only  a  portion  of  our  crew  were  allowed  shore  leave 
at  a  time,  and  by  rare  good  luck  Phil  and  I  were 
given  liberty  on  the  same  day  when  Master  Hackett 
took  his  furlough;  therefore  we  saw  more  of  the  city 
than  would  have  been  possible  had  we  set  out  alone. 

The  old  gunner  was  well  acquainted  in  Valparaiso, 
and  before  setting  out  to  visit  acquaintances,  he  showed 
us  all  the  sights.  Then,  presenting  each  of  us  with 
two  silver  shillings,  he  went  his  way,  after  cautioning 
us  to  be  at  the  shore  in  time  to  go  aboard  before 
sunset. 

It  would  have  pleased  both  Phil  and  me  had  the 
old  man  remained  with  us;  but  it  could  not  be  ex- 
pected that  he  would  give  all  his  time  of  liberty  to 
two  lads,  even  though  they  had  gone  over  the  rail  to 
save  his  life;  therefore  we  made  it  appear  as  if  we 
were  eager  to  be  by  ourselves,  and  began  to  explore 
the  chief  seaport  town  of  ChiH. 

Unable  to  speak  the  language,  we  could  not  expect 
to  make  any  new  acquaintances  ashore,  nor  did  we 
try,  although    more  than  one   Chilian  lad  gave  token 


THE  COAST   OF   CHILL  53 

that  he  was  as  ready  to  extend  the  hospitalities  of 
the  port  to  Yankees  as  were  the  dignitaries  of  the 
town. 

We  had  wandered  here  and  there  as  fancy  dictated 
until  noontime,  and  Phil  proposed  that,  since  we  had 
had  our  fill  of  sight-seeing  it  would  be  a  good  idea  to  go 
on  ship,  or  find  some  of  our  messmates. 

Strolling  with  a  party  of  sailors  whose  chief  aim 
would  most  likely  be  to  take  aboard  all  the  liquor  they 
could  drink,  was  not  to  my  liking,  and  I  had  just  sug- 
gested that  we  go  to  the  rendezvous  on  the  chance 
of  finding  a  boat  putting  off  for  the  Essex,  when  we 
were  surprised  by  a  hail  in  our  native  tongue. 

"  Hello,  you  two  lads  !  Are  you  from  the  Yankee 
ship  } " 

Wheeling  suddenly  around,  we  saw  a  boy  eighteen 
years  of  age  or  thereabouts,  who  was  regarding  us  with 
an  expression  which  might  equally  well  have  been  one 
of  friendship  or  enmity. 

"We're  from  the  Essex,''  Phil  replied,  and  as  he 
spoke  the  stranger  came  toward  us. 

"  Can  you  speak  Spanish } "  he  asked ;  whereat  I 
repHed  glibly  :  — 

"  Not  a  word,  and  more's  the  pity,  else  we  might 
have  had  companions  in  our  sight-seeing." 


54  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

"  If  that's  all  you're  wanting,  come  with  me.  I'll 
show  you  a  good  time." 

"  Do  you  live  here .? "  I  asked,  fancying  that  he 
spoke  Hke  one  lately  from  England. 

**  Yes,  for  the  time  being ;  and  since  I  have  nothing 
better  to  do,  suppose  we  travel  together." 

Every  person  in  the  town  had  been  so  friendly  toward 
us  that  we  had  no  reason  to  suspect  evil,  and  even 
though  we  had  considered  the  possibility  that  any  one 
was  wickedly  disposed,  why  should  harm  come  to  us 
who  were  of  so  little  importance .'' 

Phil  was  so  delighted  at  the  idea  of  making  a  friend 
in  this  place  where  almost  nothing  but  Spanish  was 
spoken,  that  he  accepted  the  proposition  without  delay, 
and  at  once  we  three  set  off  in  company. 

Oliver  Benson  was  the  name  of  this  friendly  appear- 
ing lad,  as  we  soon  learned ;  and  before  we  had  been 
together  half  an  hour  he  knew  very  nearly  as  much  as 
we  ourselves  concerning  our  position  and  life  aboard 
the  Essex. 

"  Boys  are  not  of  much  account  on  Yankee  ships, 
according  to  your  story,"  he  said,  in  a  peculiar  tone ; 
and  Phil  replied  glibly  :  — 

"  It  doesn't  seem  so,  except  when  there's  a  lot  of 
dirty  work  to  be  done.     If  we  never  went  back  to  the 


THE  COAST  OF   CHILI.  55 

Essex,  I  reckon  there  wouldn't  be  much  mourning  over 
our  loss." 

I  insisted  that  Master  Hackett  at  least  would  miss  us, 
and  declared  that  my  cousin  Stephen's  heart  would  be 
sore  with  grief  if  any  accident  happened  to  either  of  us  ; 
but  Benson  laughed  me  to  scorn. 

"  If  you  failed  to  return  there  isn't  one  aboard 
who'd  remember  your  absence  after  four-and-twenty 
hours,"  he  said.  "  An  enemy  might  work  his  will 
on  you  and  stand  no  chance  of  coming  to  grief, 
for  I  doubt  not  but  that  the  frigate  will  sail  by  to- 
morrow." 

"We  have  no  enemies  here,"  Phil  replied  with  a 
laugh,  ''therefore  we  needn't  spend  time  discussing 
that  question." 

I  noted  a  peculiar  expression  on  Benson's  face,  but 
gave  no  great  heed  to  it,  for  at  that  instant  he  had 
turned  down  a  narrow  street  and  was  unlocking  the 
door  of  a  stone  dwelling. 

"  Do  you  live  here }  "  Phil  asked. 

"  Yes ;  and  I  count  on  showing  you  two  lads  what 
a  Chilian  dinner  is  like.  It  will  be  something  to  talk 
about  when  you  get  home." 

He  held  the  door  open  as  invitation  for  us  to  enter ; 
and  although  there  was  absolutely  no   reason   why  I 


56  WITH    PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

should  suspect  him  of  having  unfriendly  designs  upon 
us,  I  hesitated  about  going  in. 

"Go  on,"  Phil  said,  pushing  me  forward.  ** We're 
fortunate  in  having  run  across  Benson,  for  there  are 
not  many  lads,  either  here  or  at  home,  who  would 
spend  their  time  entertaining  strangers." 

I  could  do  no  less  than  follow  our  host,  who  led  us 
up  one  flight  of  stairs,  and  thence  to  the  rear  of  the 
building.  Then  he  opened  the  door  of  a  room  and 
stepped  back  a  pace,  that  we  might  advance  in  front 
of  him. 

At  the  outer  entrance,  I  led  the  way,  and  while 
Phil  followed  close  at  my  heels,  the  door  was  slammed 
behind  us,  the  cHcking  of  iron  telling  that  we  had  been 
locked  in. 

For  an  instant  I  was  so  bewildered  as  to  be  incapable 
of  speech,  and  then  I  heard  from  the  other  side  of  the 
locked  door  a  mocking  voice  :  — 

"  I'll  keep  you  two  Yankees  here  till  your  ship  sails, 
and  then  find  you  a  berth  aboard  a  British  whaler ;  it 
will  be  a  paying  speculation  for  me,  and  you'll  have 
good  opportunities  for  seeing  the  world." 


CHAPTER   III. 

OLIVER   BENSON'S   SCHEME. 

PHIL  ROBBINS  and  I  stood  gazing  into  each 
other's  eyes  as  if  incapable  of  speech,  during  at 
least  sixty  seconds  after  the  fellow  who  had  trapped  us 
announced  the  purpose  of  his  scheme.  That  we  two 
lads,  who  were  of  no  consequence  whatsoever  in  the 
sight  of  the  officers  of  the  Essex,  should  have  been  made 
the  victims  of  a  plot  seemed  too  ridiculous  to  be  true; 
but  yet  the  locked  door  was  sufficient  evidence  for  the 
most  incredulous. 

It  was  Phil  who  first  found  his  tongue,  and  he  asked 
sharply,  as  if  positive  I  could  give  him  a  satisfactory 
answer :  — 

"  What  does  the  villain  mean  by  locking  us  in  here  } 
He  must  think  we  are  rare  prizes  !  " 

"  I'm  not  making  any  mistake  as  to  what  you're 
worth,"  Benson  cried  from  the  hallway.  "  Yankees 
don't  bring  any  extravagant  price  in  this  part  of  the 
world;    but  the  demand  is  so  great  that  I  won't  be 

57 


58  WITH    PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

forced  to  keep  you  many  hours  after  your  tub  of  a  ship 
leaves  port." 

My  head  was  so  thick  that  even  then  I  failed  to 
understand  his  purpose,  but  had  an  idea  the  fellow 
looked  upon  us  as  his  personal  enemies  because  England 
was  at  war  with  the  United  States,  and  said  to  Phil, 
giving  no  heed  to  the  fact  that  I  spoke  sufficiently  loud 
for  Benson  to  hear  :  — 

"  The  fellow  is  such  a  fool  as  to  believe  he  serves  his 
country  by  imprisoning  us." 

"That's  where  you  are  making  a  big  mistake,  my 
Yankee  cub.  Whalers  in  this  portion  of  the  world  are 
not  overly  particular  as  to  how  they  ship  a  crew,  and 
pay  a  decently  good  price  to  whoever  delivers  them 
able-bodied  hands." 

Now  I  understood  what  this  enterprising  Britisher 
had  in  mind.  I  remembered  reading,  before  I  left 
home,  a  long  account  of  how  sailors  were  trapped  in 
foreign  ports  by  the  captains  of  whaling  vessels  who 
had  lost  members  of  their  crews  by  death  or  desertion. 

If  we  could  be  held  prisoners  until  there  was  no 
longer  any  American  vessels  in  port,  Benson  might 
literally  sell  us  to  a  British  whaler ;  and  once  on  board 
such  a  craft,  our  chances  for  escape  or  relief  before  the 
voyage  had  come  to  an  end  would  be  very  small. 


OLIVER   BENSON'S   SCHEME.  59 

I  was  overwhelmed  with  grief  and  anger.  The  knowl- 
edge of  our  helplessness  increased  my  wrath  until  for  a 
certain  length  of  time  I  was  little  better  than  an  insane 
lad. 

I  stormed  and  raved  from  one  end  of  the  small  apart- 
ment to  the  other,  now  and  again  throwing  myself 
against  the  stoutly  barred  door  as  if  by  such  means  I 
might  break  it  down ;  and  during  the  paroxysm  Phil 
lay  at  full  length  on  the  floor,  giving  noisy  vent  to  his 
sorrow  and  despair.  There  was  no  care  in  my  mind 
that  Benson  was  most  likely  listening  to  all  we  said  or 
did,  and  would  set  us  down  as  chicken-hearted ;  I  only 
gave  heed  to  our  situation,  knowing  full  well  how  entirely 
we  were  in  his  power. 

It  was  not  to  be  supposed  that  the  Essex  would  remain 
many  days  longer  in  port ;  in  eight-and-forty  hours  she 
would  most  likely  get  under  way,  and  we  two  lads  who 
had  dreamed  of  winning  honor  and  promotion  would 
be  set  down  as  deserters.  Even  Master  Hackett  must 
believe  we  had  run  away,  since,  by  trying  to  make  him 
think  we  were  not  eager  to  remain  in  his  company,  lest 
he  should  waste  all  his  time  of  liberty  upon  us,  we  had 
made  it  appear  as  if  our  greatest  desire  was  to  be  alone. 

Like  a  flash  all  the  possibilities  of  the  situation  came 
into  my  mind.     I  heard  the  comments  of  our  shipmates, 


60  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX. 

saw  the  word  "deserter"  written  opposite  our  names 
on  the  ship's  register,  and  imagined  the  grief  of  my 
parents  when  the  Essex  returned  to  port  with  such  a 
disgraceful  story  concerning  us.  Meanwhile  I  could 
see  Phil  and  myself  forced  to  this  or  that  disagreeable 
task,  and  the  end  of  it  all,  a  tardy  release  in  some  for- 
eign port  from  which  we  would  be  forced  to  work  our 
way  home  as  best  we  might. 

It  was  a  most  mournful  picture,  view  it  in  whatever 
light  I  might,  and  the  stoutest-hearted  could  well  be  ex- 
cused for  growing  faint  and  sick  with  apprehension. 

Whether  we  spent  one  hour  or  three  in  such  useless 
wailings  I  am  unable  to  say ;  it  seemed  to  me  much  as 
if  we  had  been  a  full  day  in  that  place  before  I  so  far 
recovered  composure  of  mind  as  to  be  able  to  look  at 
the  situation  with  some  degree  of  common  sense,  and 
then  my  first  act  was  to  soothe  Phil,  who  still  remained 
stretched  at  full  length  upon  the  floor,  weeping  and 
waihng. 

It  was  not  a  difficult  task  to  persuade  him  into 
something  approaching  calmness ;  he  had  Hterally 
exhausted  himself  by  giving  way  so  violently  to  sor- 
row, and  was,  like  myself,  ready  to  play  a  more  manly 
part. 

Our   first   act,  after  thus  coming  to  our  senses,  so 


OLIVER   BENSON'S   SCHEME.  6 1 

to  speak,  was  to  make  a  thorough  examination  of 
this  apartment  which  served  as  prison ;  for  of  course 
the  thought  of  escape  had  been  uppermost  in  our 
minds,  even  when  our  grief  was  most  violent. 

The  room  was  not  different  from  what  one  might 
have  fancied  after  seeing  the  exterior  of  the  building. 
It  was,  however,  twelve  feet  square,  with  a  ceiHng  so 
low  that  I  could  touch  it  by  standing  on  tiptoe.  There 
were  two  windows,  both  closely  barred  with  iron,  as  I 
had  already  noticed  was  usual  in  Valparaiso,  and  the 
view  from  them  was  confined  to  a  small  plat  of  ground 
enclosed  by  a  high  wall  of  stone,  the  top  of  which  was 
nearly  on  a  level  with  one  of  the  windows. 

"  If  we  could  get  out  of  here,  it  would  not  be  a 
diflficult  task  to  reach  the  ground,"  Phil  said,  in  a 
certain  tone  of  hopefulness. 

'*  I'd  guarantee  to  bring  up  on  the  ground  all  right, 
wall  or  no  wall,  if  it  wasn't  for  the  bars." 

Then,  with  one  accord,  we  laid  hold  of  the  iron 
rods,  wrenching  at  them  with  all  our  strength,  but 
not  moving  them  by  so  much  as  a  single  hair's  breadth, 
so  far  as  I  could  see. 

That  Benson  yet  remained  in  the  hall  outside,  and 
could  hear  all  that  was  said  or  done,  we  knew  when 
he  cried  mockingly  :  — 


62  WITH   PORTER   IN   THE   ESSEX. 

"  Keep  on  pulling  at  the  bars  so  long  as  such  work 
pleases  you ;  they  have  held  stronger  men  than  you 
ever  will  be,  and  I'm  not  afraid  of  your  giving  me 
the  slip  in  that  way ! " 

Thus  we  knew  that  the  wretch  had  made  a  business 
of  trapping  strangers  to  sell  them  to  whalers,  and  this 
but  served  to  make  our  case  appear  more  hopeless ;  for 
if  he  had  had  experience  in  such  scoundrelly  work,  it 
was  probable  he  would  be  on  his  guard  against  any- 
thing we  might  try  to  do. 

By  this  time  I  was  weary,  mentally  and  bodily,  and, 
not  minded  to  give  the  villain  any  more  pleasure,  — 
for  I  doubted  not  but  that  he  enjoyed  hearing  his 
prisoners  beat  vainly  against  the  bars  of  their  cage,  — 
I  whispered  to  Phil :  — 

**  Don't  speak  nor  move.  We'll  remain  silent  until 
he  grows  tired  of  listening  and  goes  away." 

My  comrade  nodded  to  show  that  he  agreed,  and, 
seating  ourselves  on  the  floor  where  we  could  look  out 
of  the  window,  even  though  there  was  nothing  save  the 
small  patch  of  grass  to  be  seen,  we  held  our  peace  until 
the  shadows  of  evening  began  to  lengthen. 

Now  was  come  the  time  when  our  shipmates  would 
be  returning  to  the  Essex  after  a  day's  pleasuring,  and 
as  I  fancied  them  standing  on  the  shore,  discussing 


OLIVER   BENSON'S   SCHEME.  63 

the  cause  of  our  absence,  it  was  impossible  to  restrain 
my  tears. 

Not  until  the  night  had  fully  come  did  we  hear  any- 
thing from  the  hallway,  and  then  the  faint  sound  of 
stealthy  footsteps  told  that  the  villanous  Benson,  wearied 
with  his  fruitless  vigil,  was  descending  the  stairs. 

We  listened  in  vain  for  some  noise  betokening  that 
the  building  had  other  occupants  than  our  enemy  and 
ourselves ;  not  a  sound  broke  the  silence,  and  it  seemed 
only  reasonable  that  the  scoundrel  put  the  dwelling  to 
no  other  purpose  than  that  of  a  prison. 

It  would  be  useless  for  me  to  make  any  attempt 
at  setting  down  here  all  Phil  and  I  said  during  the 
hours  of  the  night,  for  much  of  our  conversation  was 
wild  in  the  extreme,  and  we  repeated  the  same  words 
again  and  again,  as  would  any  lads  in  such  a  situation 
as  we  had  so  suddenly  been  plunged. 

About  midnight  we  fell  asleep,  still  sitting  on  the 
floor,  for  there  was  no  furniture  whatsoever  in  the 
room ;  and  the  day  was  just  breaking  when  a  noise 
in  the  yard  outside  awakened  us. 

Looking  out  from  between  the  bars  we  saw  Benson, 
who  was  placing  a  ladder  against  the  building,  directly 
under  our  window. 

"  If  he'd  only  come  near  enough  for  me  to  hit  one 


64  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX. 

blow ! "  Phil  muttered  between  his  teeth,  and  I  wished 
we  might  have  so  much  satisfaction  as  that,  even  while 
knowing  he  would  never  give  us  such  an  opportunity. 

"I'm  not  counting  on  starving  you  Yankees,"  the 
villain  said  with  a  laugh,  "and  yet  I'm  no  such  fool 
as  to  open  the  door  long  enough  to  shove  in  food. 
You  see  I'm  running  this  business  alone,  for  the 
profits  are  not  large  enough  to  permit  of  my  hiring  a 
clerk,  therefore  some  of  my  arrangements  are  not 
really  convenient.  I'm  going  to  pass  you  the  end  of 
a  rope.  Then  I  can  stand  on  the  ground  and  serve 
you  with  food  and  water  to  be  hauled  up." 

"I  wonder  if  he  thinks  we'll  indulge  him  in  his 
monkey  shines  ? "  Phil  whispered  angrily ;  and  I,  sud- 
denly realizing  that  we  could  only  succeed  in  biting 
our  own  noses  if  we  went  contrary  to  Benson's  com- 
mands, said  hurriedly  in  a  low  tone  :  — 

"  Hold  your  tongue  !  We're  bound  to  eat  and  drink 
if  we  count  on  making  any  effort  at  getting  away. 
Take  what  he  gives  us,  and  we  may  thereby  keep  up 
our  strength  to  be  used  in  case  an  opportunity  for 
escape  presents  itself." 

By  this  time  Benson  was  nearly  at  the  top  of  the 
ladder;  but  he  took  good  care  not  to  come  within 
reach  of  our  fists. 


OLIVER   BENSON'S   SCHEME.  6$ 

He  passed  in  to  us  a  half-inch  Manila  rope,  and  I 
seized  the  end,  whereupon  the  villain  descended  and 
bent  on  a  small  tin  vessel  filled  with  what  appeared 
to  be  a  stew  of  beans  and  other  vegetables. 

''When  you've  hauled  in,  let  down  the  rope  again 
and  I'll  send  you  up  some  water,"  Benson  cried;  and 
I  obeyed  his  commands  in  silence. 

When  we  had  thus  been  served,  he  said  in  the  tone 
of  one  who  imparts  pleasing  information:  — 

"You'll  have  to  get  along  without  me  to-day,  for 
I'm  counting  on  catching  two  or  three  more  Yankees 
before  sunset." 

Phil  shook  his  fist  at  the  scoundrel;  but  I,  without 
knowing  exactly  why,  felt  a  certain  amount  of  satis- 
faction because  he  reckoned  on  making  more  prisoners. 

Then  the  fellow  disappeared  from  view,  and  Phil 
said  angrily :  — 

"  I  hope  our  messmates  will  have  more  sense  than 
we  displayed  when  we  agreed  to  let  him  show  us  the 
town." 

"And  I'm  hoping  he'll  make  a  big  haul." 

Phil  gazed  at  me  in  anger  and  astonishment,  where- 
upon I  hastened  to  explain  myself. 

"  There  is  no  doubt  but  that  he  can  easily  do  with 
us  as  he  has  proposed,  and  our  officers  will  make  no 


66  WITH  PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX. 

great  effort  to  find  two  boys  who  are  believed  to  have 
deserted.  If  that  scoundrelly  Britisher  can  capture 
half  a  dozen  of  our  crew  there'll  be  a  big  stir  aboard 
ship,  and,  in  addition,  he  won't  be  able  to  work  his 
will  with  so  many.  One  or  more  may  succeed  in 
escaping,  and  then  the  truth  will  be  known." 

Phil's  face  brightened  wonderfully,  for  he  had  not 
looked  at  the  matter  in  that  light  before,  and  without 
further  conversation  we  set  about  making  a  hearty 
breakfast. 

Once  our  stomachs  were  filled,  hope  revived.  We 
were  eager  that  a  large  number  of  our  men  might  be 
entrapped  by  Benson,  and  discussed  the  possibility  of 
his  success  with  as  much  zest  as  he  might  have  done. 

Then,  after  two  hours  or  more  had  elapsed,  we  began 
to  reflect  that  it  would  not  be  possible  for  a  lad  like  him 
to  scrape  acquaintance  with  men  as  easily  as  he  had 
with  us  boys,  and  we  grew  despondent  once  more. 

Finally  I  gave  up  all  belief  that  he  could  entice  any 
of  the  crew  into  his  prison,  and  said  with  more  of  hope 
in  my  tones  than  was  actually  in  my  heart :  — 

"Two  great  hulking  lads  like  ourselves  should  be 
able  to  get  out  of  an  ordinary  house !  If  this  place 
had  been  built  for  a  jail,  the  situation  would  be 
changed;   but  it  is  no  more  than  an  ordinary  dwell- 


OLIVER   BENSON'S   SCHEME.  6/ 

ing,  and  I  dare  say  these  bars  are  not  set  in  the  wall 
so  solidly  but  that  we  can  succeed  in  moving  them." 

"Tell  me  how  to  go  about  it,  and  I'll  do  my  best; 
but  I  fail  to  understand  how  we  can  accomplish  any- 
thing." 

Phil's  despair  served  to  give  me  what  was  very  like 
courage ;  and  even  though  there  was  but  little  hope  in 
my  heart  that  we  could  effect  anything,  I  spoke  as  if 
certain  of  success. 

"  We  have  our  knives,  and  with  such  tools  many  a 
man  has  worked  his  way  toward  freedom.  The  mortar 
which  holds  the  wall  in  place  can  be  picked  out  in 
time,  and  Benson  won't  have  a  chance  to  sell  us  for 
several  days  after  the  Essex  leaves  port." 

"  It  would  require  a  month  of  hard  work  to  loosen 
even  one  of  these  stones,"  Phil  replied  gloomily. 

"We  shall  be  better  off  by  making  some  effort  at 
escape,  even  though  we  never  succeed.  It  is  almost 
cowardly  to  sit  here  idle,  waiting  until  that  villain  can 
entrap  our  comrades." 

Having  said  this  I  set  myself  at  work  pricking  out 
particles  of  mortar  with  the  point  of  my  knife ;  and 
although  the  work  progressed  but  slowly,  I  could  soon 
see  some  slight  results. 

Phil  watched  me  listlessly  until  I  had  taken  out  as 


68  WITH    PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

much  as  would  fill  a  large  spoon,  and  then  he  began  to 
see  that  the  task  was  possible  if  we  had  sufficient  time. 

"  It's  better  than  doing  nothing,"  he  said,  as  if  the 
idea  was  his  own,  and  at  once  began  upon  the  seam  of 
mortar  next  that  on  which  I  was  working. 

Occupation  of  some  kind  was  what  we  most  needed ; 
and  as  the  moments  wore  on  we  increased  our  efforts 
until,  when  the  sun  marked  the  hour  of  noon,  we  had 
made  quite  a  showing,  although  at  the  expense  of 
grinding  away  our  knife-points. 

We  had  worked  upon  that  stone  which  held  the  side 
bar  in  place,  and  if  it  might  be  removed  we  would  have 
an  aperture  not  less  than  eight  inches  in  width.  As  a 
matter  of  course,  neither  of  us  could  pass  through  such 
a  narrow  space ;  but  if  two  of  the  bars  were  pulled  out, 
then  was  the  way  open. 

We  were  both  resting  from  our  labors  when  I  was 
seized  by  a  sudden  thought,  and  cried  exultantly  :  — 

"  We  can  escape  if  no  time  is  wasted !  " 

"  I  can't  see  but  that  the  situation  is  much  the  same 
as  when  we  were  first  thrust  into  this  place,"  Phil  said 
gloomily. 

"  So  it  is ;  but  since  the  villanous  Benson  passed  us 
the  rope,  I'm  of  the  idea  that  we  can  do  considerable 
work." 


OLIVER   BENSON'S   SCHEME.  69 

"How?" 

"  We  have  surely  done  something  toward  loosening 
the  stones.  Now,  if  we  make  the  rope  fast  to  the  lower 
end  of  the  bar,  and  also  to  the  handle  of  the  door,  one 
or  the  other  must  give  way  when  we  get  purchase 
enough." 

"  Yes,  I  reckon  all  that  is  true  ;  but  we're  no  more 
likely  to  get  a  purchase  on  it  than  we  are  to  walk  out 
of  here  this  minute." 

"I  believe  it  can  be  done." 

*'  Then  the  handle  of  the  door  will  give  way  first." 

This  was  rather  in  the  nature  of  a  wet  blanket  on  my 
hopes ;  but  I  would  not  admit  that  the  plan  had  any 
defects  which  might  not  be  rectified,  and  set  about 
solving  the  problem. 

Finally  I  hit  upon  a  plan,  —  not  anything  very  brill- 
iant, but  a  makeshift  which  might  possibly  serve  our 
purpose. 

Doubling  the  rope,  I  made  one  end  fast  to  the  bar  set 
into  the  stone  we  had  been  working  upon,  and  the  other 
end  I  bent  on  to  the  corresponding  bar  in  the  next 
window,  hauling  it  taut  as  possible. 

"  With  our  feet  against  the  lower  edge  of  the  window 
we  should  be  able  to  fetch  something  away,"  I  said  in 
a  hopeful  tone ;  "  and  even  though  we  fail  at  first,  the 


yO  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX. 

plan  is  sure  to  succeed  after  we've  picked  out  a  little 
more  of  the  mortar." 

Well,  we  tugged  and  strained  to  the  utmost  of  our 
strength  for  ten  minutes  or  more,  and  then,  just  as  I 
had  said  to  myself  that  we  never  could  succeed,  one  end 
of  the  bar  started  ever  so  slightly. 

"  It  can  be  done !  "  Phil  cried  exultantly,  and  would 
have  bent  himself  once  more  for  a  supreme  effort  but 
that  I  stopped  him. 

"There's  little  chance  we  could  pull  two  bars  out  be- 
fore sunset,  and  if  the  job  is  but  half  done  when  Benson 
comes  back,  he'll  understand  what  we're  trying  to  do. 
A  fellow  who  makes  a  business  of  trapping  men  won't 
stop  at  anything,  however  desperate,  in  order  to  prevent 
his  villany  from  being  known  to  the  authorities." 

"Well,  are  we  to  sit  here  idle.'*"  Phil  asked  angrily. 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it !  We'll  amuse  ourselves  picking 
mortar  from  the  next  seam,  and  thus  have  both  stones 
loosened  by  nightfall.  After  dark  we  can  yank  two 
bars  out,  or  I'm  mistaken." 

Now  it  seemed  as  if  liberty  was  near  at  hand ;  and 
after  I  had  cast  off  the  rope  that  we  might  be  able 
to  lower  it  from  the  window  in  case  Benson  proposed 
to  give  us  any  more  food,  we  set  to  work  on  the 
difficult  task  of  scraping  away  the  hard  mortar. 


OLIVER   BENSON'S    SCHEME.  7I 

It  must  not  be  supposed  that  we  removed  any  very 
great  amount  during  this  long  day;  but  we  had  laid 
bare  a  deep  seam,  and  thus  accomplished  more  than 
I  had  at  first  believed  would  be  possible. 

When  evening  had  come  there  was  no  doubt  in 
my  mind  but  that  we  could,  by  aid  of  the  rope, 
wrench  away  the  bars,  and  I  felt  brave  as  a  lion 
when  footsteps  on  the  stairs  outside  told  that  the 
scoundrelly  Benson  was  returning. 

"  He  didn't  succeed  in  trapping  any  one  else ! " 
Phil  said  jubilantly.  "  We  were  the  only  fools  on 
board   the  Essex'' 

*'  Hello  in  there ! "  Benson  cried  out ;  and  I  said 
gruffly :  — 

"  Well,  what  do  you  want }  " 

"  It's  well  to  let  you  know  that  I'm  around.  Your 
ship  is  ready  to  leave  port  in  the  morning,  and  forty- 
eight  hours  later  you  two  duffers  will  be  getting  an 
idea  of  whale  fishing." 

"Which  will  be  better  than  staying  here  forced  to 
listen  to  the  voice  of  a  cur  Hke  you ! "  Phil  repHed. 

"That  little  show  of  temper  will  cost  you  your 
supper,"  Benson  cried  in  a  rage.  "  I'll  starve  you 
into  submission,  if  you  turn  rusty,  so  have  a  care." 

**  I  reckon  you've  lost  your  temper  because  of  not 


*J2  WITH    PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

finding  any  more  fools  among  the  crew  of  the 
Essex!'' 

*'  I  don't  keep  all  my  birds  in  one  cage." 

"  But  you've  got  all  from  the  Essex  in  this  one, 
and  we  two  make  up  the  list,"  Phil  cried  with  a 
laugh,  for  he  was  finding  considerable  sport  in  thus 
baiting  the  villain. 

"  Better  keep  a  quiet  tongue  in  your  head,"  I 
whispered,  "  otherwise  he  might  come  inside  and  see 
what  we've  been  doing." 

"  I  only  wish  he  would !  "  and  Phil  flourished  his 
knife  in  a  manner  which  told  what  he  would  do  if 
our  enemy  should  be  so  indiscreet  as  to  come  within 
striking  distance.  * 

Benson  stalked  to  and  fro  in  the  hallway  when 
we  ceased  to  reply  to  his  jibes,  and  after  half  an 
hour  or  more  we  heard  him  descending  the  stairs 
again. 

Then,  by  gazing  through  the  bars,  we  could  see 
that  he  had  gone  into  the  enclosure,  —  most  likely  to 
make  certain  everything  was  as  he  had  left  it;  and 
we  listened  to  the  noise  of  his  movements  until  all 
was  silent  once  more. 

"  He's  gone  out  in  the  hope  of  catching  such  of 
our  men  as  have  overstayed   their  shore  leave,"    Phil 


OLIVER  BENSON'S   SCHEME.  73 

whispered,  "  Now  is  our  time  to  begin  work  with 
the  rope." 

I  insisted  that  we  wait  ten  minutes  longer,  to  make 
it  more  certain  the  scoundrel  had  left  the  building, 
and  then  we  began  the  task  which  I  confidently 
expected  would  result  in  our  release. 

The  rope  was  made  fast  as  before,  and  we  two 
laid  hold  of  it  with  a  will ;  but  haul  and  pull  as  we 
would,  the  bars  remained  firmly  in  place.  That  one 
which  we  had  started  during  the  afternoon  was  im- 
movable, and  the  perspiration  was  running  down  our 
faces  in  tiny  streams  before  we  were  ready  to  admit 
that  the  plan  was  a  failure. 

"  He'll  work  his  will  with  us,"  Phil  said  with  a 
sob  as  we  ceased  our  efforts  and  stood  facing  each 
other  in  the  darkness.     '*  We  can't  get  out !  " 

"  Don't  lose  your  courage  so  soon.  We  can  work 
at  the  mortar  all  day  to-morrow,  and  then  I'm  cer- 
tain the  bars  will  yield." 

*'  By  that  time  the  Essex  will  have  left  port." 

"  Other  American  vessels  put  in  here,  and  surely 
we  can  work  our  way  home  without  being  forced  to 
serve  on  board  a  whaler.  Besides,  the  Essex  is  likely 
to  visit  this  port  more  than  once  before  her  work  in 
the  Pacific  is  concluded." 


74  WITH    PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

Phil  would  not  be  soothed,  and  he  turned  from  me 
impatiently  just  as  I  fancied  a  low  whistle  sounded  out- 
side, near  the  garden  wall. 

In  an  instant  I  was  at  the  window,  pressing  my  face 
against  the  bars  until  the  iron  made  great  ridges  on  my 
cheeks ;  but  the  silence  was  profound,  and  I  believed 
that  which  I  heard  was  nothing  more  than  the  wind. 

Turning  from  the  window  in  disappointment,  I  was 
about  to  speak  to  Phil,  when  the  whistle  sounded  again, 
low  and  soft,  but  so  distinctly  that  there  could  be  no 
mistake. 

Phil  heard  it  as  I  did,  and  we  two  sprang  to  the  grat- 
ings once  more,  expecting,  hoping,  to  hear  the  voices 
of  our  messmates. 

Everything  was  silent,  and  I  stood  there  like  a  sim- 
ple fully  thirty  seconds  before  gathering  sufficient  sense 
to  speak.     Then  I  cried  softly  :  — 

"  Essex  ahoy  \'* 

"  Ahoy  in  the  shanty !  "  a  voice  replied,  and  I  sank 
to  my  knees  in  fervent  thanksgiving,  for  I  recognized 
the  tones  of  Master  Hackett.  Now,  even  though  we 
might  not  be  released,  it  would  be  known  aboard  ship 
that  we  had  not  deserted. 

"  Where  are  you  ? "  the  old  seaman  asked  in  a  loud 
whisper,  after  remaining  silent  a  few  seconds. 


OLIVER   BENSON'S   SCHEME.  75 

"At  a  window  just  above  the  height  of  the 
wall,"  Phil  replied,  and  then  a  happy  thought  came 
to  me. 

"We've  got  a  half-inch  rope  here,  Master  Hackett, 
and  can  let  it  down  if  perchance  you  might  be  able  to 
use  it." 

"  If  an  old  shellback  like  me  can't  use  a  rope,  I'd 
like  to  see  the  man  who  can.  Let  it  down,  lads,  an' 
move  lively,  for  I've  had  hard  work  to  keep  out  of  the 
course  of  a  British  cub  who's  been  actin'  in  a  way  that 
don't  seem  honest." 

While  he  spoke  I  was  lowering  the  rope  over  the 
wall,  and  when  Master  Hackett  sung  out  that  he  had  it, 
we  belayed  the  remaining  portion  to  a  couple  of  the 
bars,  knowing  full  well  that  the  old  man  would  soon 
appear  at  the  top  of  the  wall  unless  some  one  on  the 
street  interfered  with  him. 

Nor  were  we  mistaken.  Before  I  could  have  counted 
ten  he  was  clutching  the  bars  of  our  prison,  asking 
how  we  chanced  to  be  in  such  a  scrape. 

In  the  fewest  possible  words  I  explained  how  we  had 
been  trapped  and  what  Benson  proposed  to  do  with  us ; 
whereupon  the  old  man  said  half  to  himself :  — 

"  Now  I  can  see  what  he  was  after  when  he  came 
rubbin'  alongside  some  of  us,  offerin'  to  show  fine  sights 


/6  WITH    PORTER   IN   THE   ESSEX. 

if  we'd  go  with  him.  But  instead  of  standin'  here 
yarnin',  I  reckon  we'd  better  get  you  out  of  the  trap." 

"Wouldn't  it  be  well  to  report  on  board  that  we've 
been  made  prisoners,  and  ask  that  a  squad  of  men  be 
sent  on  shore } "  Phil  asked  timidly.  "  If  Benson 
should  get  an  inkling  of  your  being  here,  he'd  make 
more  trouble  for  us  in  some  way ;  and  it  won't  pay  to 
take  any  chances." 

"  I  don't  count  on  takin'  any  more'n  is  wholesome, 
an'  at  the  same  time  ain't  willin'  to  flash  up  on  board 
with  the  yarn  that  I  couldn't  get  the  best  of  one  Brit- 
isher, an'  him  in  a  foreign  country." 

Then  Master  Hackett  made  an  examination  of  the 
bars,  after  which  he  suddenly  disappeared  from  view, 
and,  to  my  great  surprise,  I  saw  that,  pulling  the  rope 
inside  the  wall,  he  had  slipped  into  the  enclosure. 

Now  he  was  almost  as  much  of  a  prisoner  as  were 
we ;  and  if  the  Britisher  should  come  back,  the  old  man 
might  find  himself  in  tight  quarters,  for  it  was  reasona- 
ble to  suppose  that  a  man  engaged  in  such  a  villanous 
business  as  was  Benson  always  went  well  armed. 

However,  it  was  destined  that  Master  Hackett  should 
not  be  disturbed ;  and  we  could  see  him  faintly  in  the 
darkness,  moving  here  and  there  as  if  in  search  of  some- 
thing. 


HE  FORCED  THE  IRON  RODS  FROM  THEIR  SOCKETS  IN  SHORT  ORDER. 


OLIVER   BENSON'S   SCHEME.  J  J 

Then  he  placed  the  ladder  against  the  wall,  and  when 
he  had  ascended  to  the  level  of  our  window  we  saw  that 
he  had  with  him  a  short  piece  of  joist. 

Using  this  as  a  lever,  after  we  had  told  him  which 
bars  we  had  been  working  on,  he  forced  the  iron  rods 
from  their  sockets  in  short  order,  thus  making  for  us  an 
open  door  through  which  we  could  pass  to  the  top  of 
the  wall. 

"  You  can  come  out  now,"  the  old  man  said  with  a 
chuckle,  *'  an'  the  next  time  you're  in  a  strange  port  I 
reckon  you'll  be  more  careful  about  followin'  them  as 
agree  to  give  a  free  blow-out." 

It  can  readily  be  imagined  that  we  lost  no  time  in 
acting  upon  the  suggestion,  and  by  the  aid  of  the  rope 
we  slid  down  to  the  ground,  exulting  in  the  sense  of 
freedom. 

Master  Hackett  led  us  into  one  of  the  main  streets, 
and  while  doing  so  explained  that  when  we  failed  to 
return  to  the  ship  on  time  he  suspected  we  had  fallen 
into  trouble,  although  more  than  one  of  the  men  sug- 
gested that  we  had  deserted. 

"  I  didn't  reckon  you  were  the  kind  of  lads  who'd 
turn  around  in  that  fashion,  an'  so  got  permission  to 
come  ashore  for  a  spell,  agreein'  to  report  to-morrow 
mornin'  if  I  hadn't  come  across  anything  that  would 


yS  WITH   PORTER   IN   THE   ESSEX. 

show  why  you'd  failed  to  turn  up.  Then  it  was  I  run 
across  that  Britisher,  an'  found  he  was  mighty  anxious 
to  give  me  a  free  spree.  It  was  that  which  made  me 
believe  he  could  tell  somethin'  about  you,  an'  I  set 
about  findin'  where  he  lived.  It  wasn't  any  easy  matter 
for  an  old  shellback  to  follow  that  sneak,  who  had  good 
reason  for  thinkin'  some  of  us  might  want  to  know 
where  he  anchored  hisself  nights ;  but  I  managed  the 
traverse  in  fair  shape,  an'  here  we'  are." 

"Can  we  go  on  board  the  Essex  to-night.''"  Phil 
asked. 

"  I  reckon  we  might  by  hirin'  a  boatman  ;  but  there's 
no  reason  why  we  need  be  in  a  hurry." 

"  I'd  rather  be  on  the  gun-deck  than  in  this  town," 
Phil  replied  with  a  shudder,  and  at  that  instant,  just  as 
we  were  turning  a  corner,  we  came  face  to  face  with 
Oliver  Benson,  the  young  Britisher  who  made  a  busi- 
ness of  selling  Yankee  seamen  to  English  whalers. 

My  first  impulse  was  to  run  away,  but  before  I  could 
so  much  as  move  Master  Hackett  had  leaped  upon  the 
villain,  and  then  I  would  not  have  beat  a  retreat  no 
matter  what  might  have  been  the  cost  of  remaining. 

I  joined  the  fray,  for  the  Britisher  immediately  began 
to  fight  desperately;  and  during  several  moments  the 
three  of  us  had  quite  as  much  of  a  task  as  we  could 


OLIVER   BENSON'S   SCHEME.  79 

perform,  for  Benson  was  armed  with  a  wicked  looking 
knife,  and  knew  right  well  how  to  use  it. 

But  for  Phil,  the  villain  would  have  succeeded  in 
stabbing  Master  Hackett  in  the  back  while  the  two 
were  locked  in  each  other's  embrace;  but  once  his 
weapon  was  taken  from  him,  the  scoundrel  showed 
signs  of  submission. 

"  Don't  give  him  a  chance  to  play  us  any  tricks,"  the 
old  man  said  as  he  unknotted  his  neckerchief  prepara- 
tory to  binding  Benson's  hands  behind  his  back ;  and  I 
wondered  greatly  why  we  should  burden  ourselves  with 
a  prisoner  in  a  town  where,  for  aught  we  knew,  he 
might  have  many  friends  or  accomplices. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

AMONG  THE  WHALERS. 

THIS  taking  a  prisoner  in  a  friendly  port  was,  as  I 
considered  the  matter  for  the  moment,  a  serious 
affair,  and  without  waiting  to  reflect  I  advised  Master 
Hackett  to  let  the  fellow  go  free. 

"  He  can't  do  us  any  more  harm,  and  we'll  warn 
others  as  to  his  scheme.  There's  no  knowing  how 
much  of  a  row  may  be  kicked  up  by  our  depriving  him 
of  his  liberty." 

"  That's  no  more'n  he  did  to  you,  an'  the  chances  are 
that  many  a  poor  fellow  is  eatin'  his  heart  out  aboard  a 
British  whaler  because  of  him.  We've  got  the  scoundrel 
fast,  an'  I  count  on  keepin'  him  so,  at  least  until  after 
he's  been  brought  face  to  face  with  Captain  Porter." 

Benson  spoke  no  word ;  the  pallor  of  his  face  told 
that  he  was  afraid,  and  if  we  had  not  known  it  before, 
we  understood  then  that  at  heart  he  was  a  thorough 
coward. 

I  expected  each  instant  that  he  would  call  for  help, 

and  there  were  enough  rough  characters  around  Valpa- 

80 


AMONG  THE   WHALERS.  8 1 

raiso  to  give  us  no  end  of  trouble  in  case  they  espoused 
his  cause. 

But  Benson  remained  silent,  therefore  after  a  time  I 
came  to  believe  he  did  not  stand  on  very  good  terms 
with  the  inhabitants  of  the  town,  and  had  good  reason 
for  thinking  his  summons  would  not  be  answered  by 
aid.  This  last  surmise  of  mine  was  soon  found  to  be 
very  nearly  correct,  as  will  presently  be  seen. 

After  tying  the  Britisher's  hands  behind  his  back, 
Master  Hackett  seized  him  by  the  arm  and  led  the  way 
toward  the  shore,  followed  closely,  as  may  be  supposed, 
by  Phil  and  me. 

It  was  near  to  midnight ;  the  peace-loving  inhabitants 
of  the  town  were  asleep,  and  the  rougher  element  must 
have  had  a  rendezvous  at  some  distance  from  the  water's 
edge,  for  we  did  not  meet  a  single  person  until  after 
having  walked  to  and  fro  on  the  shore  half  an  hour  or 
more  shouting  for  a  boatman. 

Then  a  sleepy  looking  fellow  lounged  up  to  Master 
Hackett,  professing  his  willingness  to  do  whatsoever 
might  be  required,  providing  a  sufficient  amount  of 
money  was  forthcoming. 

He  had  no  more  than  given  us  to  understand  this 
much  when  a  moonbeam  lighted  up  Benson's  face,  and 
in  an  instant  the  boatman  was  animated. 


82  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

**  Where  did  you  get  that  fellow  ?  "  he  asked  of  Mas- 
ter Hackett  in  Spanish,  and  the  latter  replied  in  the 
same  language,  repeating  the  conversation  to  Phil  and 
me  after  we  were  on  board  the  Essex ;  but  for  the  time 
we  were  completely  in  the  dark  so  far  as  understanding 
the  drift  of  the  talk  was  concerned. 

"We  picked  him  up  a  short  distance  from  here," 
the  old  seaman  replied.  "  He  had  jugged  two  boys 
belongin'  to  our  ship,  countin'  on  sellin'  'em  to  British 
whalers  after  the  Essex  left  port." 

*'  I  know  him  for  a  villain,  an'  have  had  it  in  mind 
that  he  spent  his  time  shanghaing  sailors,  but  never 
could  bring  it  home  to  him.  His  game  doesn't  stop  at 
Yankees ;  for  when  there  are  none  in  port  he'll  pick  up 
anybody,  so  it's  said." 

*'  Then  you  have  no  objections  to  carry  in'  him  aboard 
the  ship .? " 

"  What  will  you  do  with  him  there  ?  " 

"  Let  the  captain  settle  his  hash.  We've  got  good 
proof  of  what  he's  been  up  to,  an'  I  promise  you  he 
won't  be  treated  any  too  gently." 

**  I'll  carry  you  an'  him  out  to  the  ship  for  nothing,  if 
by  so  doing  we  can  rid  ourselves  of  the  villain." 

**  I  can't  say  whether  the  captain  will  take  him  out  of 
your  way ;  but  you  may  be  certain  it'll  go  hard  with 
him." 


AMONG  THE   WHALERS.  83 

Until  some  time  later  Phil  and  I  were  surprised  at 
seeing  the  boatman  scurrying  around  as  if  we  had  been 
commissioned  officers  who  promised  a  big  fee ;  and  he  it 
was  who  tossed  Benson  on  board  the  small  boat  with  no 
more  ceremony  than  he  would  have  used  in  handling  a 
bundle  of  merchandise. 

In  a  twinkling  we  were  hailed  by  the  sentry  on  board 
the  Essex,  so  rapidly  did  the  boatman  work  his  oars, 
and  Master  Hackett  gave  such  an  account  of  his  party 
as  gained  us  permission  to  come  up  the  gangway  ladder. 

Not  seeing  the  old  seaman  offer  to  pay  the  man 
for  having  pulled  us  out  to  the  ship,  I  took  one  of  the 
silver  shillings  from  my  pocket,  offering  it  to  him ;  but 
he  shook  his  head  as  he  pointed  with  a  grin  to  where 
Master  Hackett  stood  arm  in  arm  with  Benson. 

The  remainder  of  the  night  was  spent  by  the  Brit- 
isher in  the  prison  of  the  ship,  or,  as  a  sailor  would 
put  it,  "  in  the  brig  " ;  and  we  two  lads,  after  hearing 
from  the  old  seaman  a  literal  translation  of  the  conver- 
sation he  had  had  with  the  boatman,  tumbled  into  our 
hammocks  with  thankful  hearts. 

A  few   hours   previous   it   had    seemed   certain   we 

*   would  be  sent  on  board    a  whaler,  while  our  friends 

believed  us  deserters,  and  now  we  were  in  our  proper 

stations  once  more.     Surely,  Master  Hackett  had  repaid 


84  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE  ESSEX. 

whatsoever  of  a  debt  he  might  have  owed  us  for  jump- 
ing over  the  rail  to  rescue  him ! 

The  reception  we  met  with  from  our  messmates  next 
morning  was  well  calculated  to  make  lads  feel  proud. 
Every  man  jack  came  up  with  some  pleasant  word  as 
if  we  were  particular  friends  with  all  the  crew ;  and 
many  were  the  hopes  expressed  that  the  Britisher, 
Benson,  would  get  such  sauce  as  he  deserved. 

There  was  never  a  man  on  board  who  did  not  believe 
our  captain  would  deal  out  the  most  severe  punishment 
in  his  power,  yet  it  was  agreed  by  the  idlers  on  the 
gun-deck  that  if  the  villain  was  let  off  too  easily,  they 
would  ask  for  permission  to  go  on  shore  again  and 
make  it  their  duty  to  trim  him  in  proper  fashion. 

The  yarn  which  had  been  told  Phil  and  me  regard- 
ing the  saiHng  of  the  Essex  was  a  hoax.  She  was 
taking  on  board  provisions  for  a  long  cruise,  and  it 
was  hardly  probable  could  be  got  under  way  for  two 
or  three  days  at  the  earliest. 

Half  an  hour  after  inspection  one  of  the  marines 
brought  the  word  forward  that  Phil  and  I  were  to  go 
aft  for  an  interview  with  the  captain;  and  while  it 
was  no  more  than  we  had  been  expecting,  both  of 
us  were  considerably  excited  by  the  prospect. 

We  were   rigged  out  in  our  best  bibs  and   tuckers. 


AMONG  THE   WHALERS.  8$ 

Master  Hackett  himself  seeing  to  it  that  our  hats 
were  properly  tilted  on  ''three  hairs,"  and  half  a 
dozen  of  the  older  men  inspecting  us  gravely  to  make 
certain  we  were  togged  in  shipshape  and  Bristol 
fashion. 

We  found  the  captain  with  half  a  dozen  of  the  offi- 
cers, among  whom  was  my  cousin,  Stephen  McKnight, 
seated  around  a  large  table  in  the  after  cabin,  looking 
grave  as  owls;  and  certain  it  is  that  I  was  trembling 
like  a  leaf  when  I  bowed  and  scraped  in  such  fashion 
as  Master  Hackett  had  said  was  proper. 

"  Well,  lads,"  the  captain  said,  speaking  as  if  he 
believed  we  were  as  good  as  himself,  "  I  understand 
that  you  had  quite  an  adventure  ashore  yesterday, 
and  were  near  coming  to  grief." 

"  Yes,  sir,"  I  replied,  after  waiting  in  vain  for  Phil 
to  speak,  and  my  voice  quivered  till  it  was  like  a 
wheezy  flute. 

"Tell  us  the  whole  story  from  the  time  you  left 
Hackett,  and  do  not  be  afraid  of  making  it  too  long." 

Again  I  waited  for  Phil;  but  since  he  showed  no 
signs  of  piping  up  I  was  obliged  to  spin  the  yarn, 
for  it  would  never  have  done  to  keep  the  captain 
waiting. 

All  hands  were  still   as    mice   while    I    told   of   our 


86  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

meeting  with  Benson;  and  to  make  certain  they'd 
believe  me,  I  made  Phil  pipe  up  from  time  to  time 
with  his,  "  That's  true,  sir,"  or,  ''  It's  all  as  Ezra  says, 
sir." 

When  I  was  at  the  end  of  the  yarn,  —  and  it  was  a 
long  one,  as  you  may  believe,  for  I  told  every  little  detail 
from  our  meeting  with  Benson  until  we  were  on  board 
ship  again,  —  the  captain  said,  as  polite  as  a  fiddler  :  — 

**  You  may  go,  lads,  and  send  Hackett  aft." 

Phil  came  very  near  tumbling  over  me  as  he  tried  to 
get  out  of  the  cabin  in  a  hurry ;  and  we  were  hardly 
more  than  amidships  before  we  met  Master  Hackett, 
togged  out  within  an  inch  of  his  life. 

"The  captain  has  sent  for  you,  sir,"  I  said  with  all 
due  respect ;  and  instead  of  making  any  reply,  the  old 
fellow  turned  on  his  heel  stiff  as  a  ramrod,  walking 
aft  till  his  bowlegs  cut  a  perfect  circle. 

Once  on  the  gun-deck  again  we  two  lads  were  forced 
to  tell  the  idlers  all  that  had  occurred ;  and  we  were 
no  sooner  done  with  our  yarn  than  Master  Hackett 
appeared,  looking  much  as  if  he  had  just  been  made 
master  of  a  prize. 

With  all  his  fine  looks  and  lordly  manner,  he  could 
not  tell  the  idlers  more  than  we  had  already  done,  and 
all  hands  of  us  were  forced  'to  wait  in  suspense  until 


AMONG   THE   WHALERS.  8/ 

some  long-eared  marine  should  come  forward  with  his 
budget  of  news  gathered  by  eavesdropping. 

Half  an  hour  later  the  crew  of  the  cutter  was  called 
away  to  carry  Lieutenant  Downes  ashore ;  and  when 
that  officer  came  back  No.  4  boat  was  manned,  and 
the  prisoner,  Benson,  put  on  board. 

It  was  not  until  the  next  day  that  we  learned  the 
whole  of  the  story,  and  then  all  hands  were  satisfied 
that  justice  would  be  done  by  the  ChiUan  authorities  in 
such  a  fashion  that  the  Britisher  would  for  some  time 
be  unable  to  continue  his  scheme  of  catching  Yankees. 

What  we  finally  learned  was  much  like  this :  Having 
inquired  into  the  case  thoroughly,  as  I  have  already 
set  down,  Captain  Porter  was  convinced  that  a  flogging 
would  be  too  slight  punishment  for  such  a  villain  as 
Benson,  and  Mr.  Downes  made  an  official  report  of 
the  case  to  the  authorities  of  the  port.  Those  officers 
promised  that  the  enterprising  Britisher  should  be 
imprisoned  with  hard  labor  for  a  year  at  the  very 
least;  and  that  this  was  done.  Master  Hackett,  Phil, 
and  I  knew  before  the  Essex  left  port,  for  we  three 
visited  the  jail  and  saw  the  scoundrel  picking  oakum 
under  charge  of  well-armed  keepers. 

He  glanced  out  of  the  corner  of  his  eye  at  us  for  a 
single  second,  and  then  looked  steadily  at  his  work, 


88  WITH   PORTER   IN   THE   ESSEX. 

nor  could  we  provoke  him  into  speaking.  I  thought 
at  the  time,  however,  and  had  good  reason  to  remember 
it  afterward,  that  if  the  opportunity  should  ever  pre- 
sent itself  for  him  to  get  one  or  all  three  of  us  into  his 
power,  he  would  not  be  likely  to  show  us  much  mercy. 

It  was  on  the  day  we  visited  the  jail  that  the  brig 
fane,  an  American  whaler,  came  into  port,  and  from 
her  master  Captain  Porter  learned  very  much  which 
it  was  necessary  he  should  know.  It  was  reported 
that  nearly  all  the  British  whalers  were  armed  and 
provided  with  letters  of  marque,  which  really  put  them 
on  a  footing  with  ships  of  war ;  and,  unless  their  plans 
were  speedily  nipped  in  the  bud,  all  the  vessels  hailing 
from  the  United  States  would  be  captured.  In  fact 
one  of  them  had  already  been  seized,  the  Britisher 
having  no  difficulty  in  coming  alongside  because  the 
Yankee  craft  had  been  so  long  at  sea  that  her  com- 
mander had  no  idea  war  had  been  proclaimed. 

Captain  Porter  did  not  linger  after  receiving  such 
inform.ation.  He  had  proposed  to  put  additional  stores 
on  board;  but  now  decided  that  he  could  not  afford 
to  spend  any  more  time  in  port,  and  immediately  sig- 
nals were  hoisted  recalling  those  who  were  in  the  town 
on  shore  leave. 

Master  Hackett,  Phil,  and  I  were  no  more  than  on 


AMONG  THE  WHALERS.  89 

board  before  the  Essex  was  under  way,  and  I  believe 
of  a  verity  we  would  have  been  left  behind  had  we 
loitered  half  an  hour  longer. 

We  had  been  at  sea  two  days  when  we  spoke  the 
Yankee  whaleship  Charles,  and  ran  so  close  alongside 
that  it  was  possible  to  hail  her,  when  the  skipper  was 
summoned  on  board  to  give  information. 

A  more  surprised  set  of  men  than  those  who  rowed 
the  Nantucket  captain  over  to  us,  I  never  saw.  They 
stared  at  the  Essex  in  open-mouthed  amaze,  and  fired 
volleys  of  questions  at  us  as  we  overhung  the  rail, 
knowing  full  well  that  we  could  get  the  same  news 
from  these  men  as  was  being  dealt  out  in  the  cabin  to 
our  commander. 

Not  until  after  we  had  explained  the  meaning  of 
our  being  in  the  Pacific,  however,  could  we  get  any 
information,  and  then  we  learned  that  there  was  work 
in  plenty  before  us. 

A  Peruvian  corsair,  in  company  with  an  armed 
British  brig,  had  already  captured  the  ships  Walker 
and  Barclay  while  they  were  cruising  off  Coquimbo,  and 
unless  we  took  a  hand  the  entire  Yankee  fleet  would 
soon  be  gobbled  up. 

The  Nantucket  skipper  did  not  stay  in  the  cabin 
more  than  half  an  hour ;  and  immediately  he  was  over 


90  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE   ESSEX. 

the  rail,  our  ship  was  being  brought  around  "  to  take  a 
hand  in  the  fun,"  as  Master  Hackett  announced,  while 
the  Chaides  followed  in  the  wake  of  the  Essex. 

It  can  readily  be  imagined  that  all  hands  were  in  a 
fine  state  of  excitement  by  this  time,  knowing  as  we  did 
that  our  work  was  cut  out  for  us ;  but  we  counted  on 
cruising  two  or  three  days  at  the  very  least  before  com- 
ing up  with  an  enemy. 

Our  surprise  was  quite  as  great  as  our  pleasure,  when, 
not  more  than  three  hours  later,  and  while  the  Charles 
was  within  two  miles  of  us,  we  sighted  the  Peruvian 
vessel  to  the  northward. 

In  a  twinkling  we  ran  up  the  British  colors  to  coax 
her  within  striking  distance;  and  the  captain  of  the 
Charles  showed  himself  to  be  quite  as  shrewd  as  are 
Nantucket  men  in  general,  for  no  sooner  was  our  false 
ensign  straightened  out  than  he  hoisted  the  English  flag 
over  the  stars  and  stripes,  thus  making  it  appear  as  if 
he  had  been  captured  by  us. 

The  Peruvian  fell  into  the  trap  at  once,  and  came 
down  upon  us  in  fine  style,  throwing  a  shot  ahead  of  the 
Essex  when  he  was  about  a  mile  away.  It  was  carrying 
matters  with  a  high  hand ;  but  I  reckon  Captain  Porter 
wasn't  very  greatly  displeased,  since  it  only  made  Our 
work  more  simple. 


AMONG  THE  WHALERS.  9 1 

Orders  were  at  once  given  to  pitch  three  shots  directly 
over  the  stranger  as  a  token  for  him  to  come  nearer, 
which  the  Peruvian  did,  at  the  same  time  sending  an 
armed  boat  to  board  us. 

Every  man  jack  of  us,  save  those  at  the  starboard 
guns,  were  on  deck  when  the  boat  came  alongside,  a 
lieutenant  in  full  rig  standing  in  the  stern-sheets,  and 
thus  it  was  Phil  and  I  heard  all  that  was  said  between 
this  fine  fellow  and  our  commander. 

Captain  Porter  professed  to  be  in  a  towering  rage  ; 
he  ordered  the  lieutenant  to  go  back  at  once  with  an 
order  for  the  Peruvian  to  run  under  our  lee,  and  then 
send  an  officer  on  board  to  apologize  for  having  dared 
to  fire  at  an  English  man-of-war. 

How  that  fellow  scurried  back !  He  never  so  much 
as  suspected  that  we  were  other  than  what  had  been 
represented,  and  in  the  shortest  possible  space  of  time 
another  lieutenant,  wearing  so  much  gold  lace  that  he 
looked  like  a  brazen  image,  came  up  the  gangway  ladder 
grinning  and  bowing  like  an  ape. 

Captain  Porter  received  him  on  the  quarter,  but  never 
so  much  as  invited  him  into  the  cabin,  and  Phil  and  I 
crowded  well  aft  to  hear  what  we  allowed  would  be  a 
mighty  interesting  conversation. 

The  lieutenant  reported  that  his  ship  was  the  Peruvian 


92  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX. 

privateer  Nereyda,  armed  with  fifteen  guns,  and  carrying 
a  full  crew.  They  were  cruising  for  Americans,  he  said, 
and  had  already  captured  two,  —  the  Walker  and  the 
Barclay ;  but  the  British  letter  of  marque  Ninirod,  a 
whaler,  had  driven  their  prize  crew  from  the  Walker 
and  taken  possession  of  her.  The  Peruvian  had  mis- 
taken us  for  the  Nimrod,  and  fired  for  the  purpose  of 
showing  that  they  did  not  count  on  having  their  prizes 
taken  from  them  in  such  an  unceremonious  fashion. 

It  puzzled  me  to  make  out  how  the  Peruvians,  who 
were  under  Spanish  rule,  dared  to  attack  our  vessels 
while  Spain  was  not  at  war  with  the  United  States ;  but 
the  old  sea  lawyers  of  the  gun-deck  explained  matters 
that  evening  to  their  entire  satisfaction,  by  saying  the 
Peruvians  must  have  believed  that  Spain,  who  was 
so  dependent  upon  England,  would  soon  declare  war 
against  us  because  the  king  of  Great  Britain  had  done 
so,  and  this  would  make  the  capture  of  the  whalers 
legal. 

Whether  that  was  the  right  view  of  the  case  or  not,  I 
can't  say;  but  it  satisfied  our  old  shellbacks,  and  that 
was  enough. 

But  to  go  back  to  the  Peruvian  lieutenant  who  stood 
on  the  quarter  shaking  hands  with  himself  because  he 
had  straightened  out  the  matter  of  having  fired  on  us. 


AMONG  THE   WHALERS.  93 

I  suppose  he  thought  our  captain  would  pat  him  on  the 
back  for  being  engaged  in  the  work  of  destroying  Yan- 
kee whalers,  and  was  most  likely  counting  on  being 
invited  into  the  cabin  to  a  blow-out  of  the  best  from  the 
officers'  stores. 

•  It  was  comical  to  see  the  fellow  jump  when  Captain 
Porter  gave  a  signal  for  the  British  ensign  to  be  hauled 
down  and  the  stars  and  stripes  run  up  !  He  stared 
first  at  the  flag,  and  then  at  the  men  amidships  who 
were  watching  him,  until  our  gun-deck  crowd  laughed 
aloud. 

Captain  Porter  scowled,  for  it  wasn't  good  manners 
to  make  sport  of  a  prisoner,  and  then  told  the  Peruvian 
who  we  were,  although  there  was  little  need  of  that 
after  he  had  seen  our  flag. 

The  next  minute  orders  were  given  to  pitch  a  couple 
of  shots  over  the  Nereyda,  and  down  came  her  colors 
as  if  our  balls  had  cut  away  the  halliards.  They  didn't 
care  to  dispute  the  question,  but  surrendered  off-hand, 
as  if  afraid  we  might  take  it  into  our  heads  to  sink 
their  piratical  craft. 

After  that,  and  until  three  hours  were  passed,  our 
men  had  a  lively  time  taking  the  privateer's  crew 
aboard  the  Essex  and  stowing  them  in  the  cages  on 
the  lower  deck.     It  was  good  practice  for  Lieutenant 


96  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

Both  Phil  and  I  would  like  very  much  to  know  if 
that  letter  was  ever  delivered,  and  in 'case  the  officers 
kept  their  promise,  what  was  done  with  them  for  hav- 
ing made  prizes  of  vessels  belonging  to  a  nation  with 
which  Spain  was  not  at  war. 

There  was  no  need  for  any  one  to  ask  what  our 
course  would  be  after  parting  company  with  the  Peru- 
vian cruiser.  Captain  Porter  would  search  for  the 
captured  Yankees,  as  a  matter  of  fact ;  and  the  only 
question  in  the  minds  of  us  on  the  gun-deck  was  as 
to  where  he  would  look  for  them. 

It  goes  without  saying  that  our  old  shellbacks  wagged 
their  tongues  furiously  over  this,  and  iinally  it  was  set- 
tled among  them  that  the  Essex  must  perforce  cruise 
around  the  island  of  San  Gallan.  It  was  exactly  this 
which  our  commander  did,  and  those  who  had  pre- 
dicted it  plumed  their  feathers  mightily  at  showing  so 
much  seamanship. 

Well,  we  made  good  headway  until  the  28th  day  of 
March,  with  nothing  of  interest  occurring  save  that 
half  the  crew  were  constantly  on  the  lookout  for  the 
captured  vessels,  and  then  we  were  well  up  with  San 
Gallan.  On  this  day  we  hauled  off  to  the  northward 
and  westward,  counting  to  cross  the  track  of  inward- 
bound  craft. 


AMONG  THE   WHALERS.  97 

It  appeared  that  again  were  we  just  in  the  nick  of 
time,  for  in  less  than  sixteen  hours  after  changing  the 
course  we  sighted  three  sail  standing  for  Callao. 

It  was  a  case  of  prize  money  and  no  mistake,  for 
there  wasn't  one  chance  in  an  hundred  that  either 
of  the  strangers  was  a  Yankee,  and  there  was  some 
lively  jumping  and  hauHng  as  we  put  the  Essex  in  trim 
for  a  stiff  chase. 

The  crew  of  the  Barclay  declared  that  the  craft 
nearest  was  the  one  which  had  been  taken  from  them 
by  the  Peruvian,  and  Captain  Porter  set  about  cutting 
her  out,  regardless  of  others. 

During  four  hours  we  had  a  most  exciting  time  of  it, 
and  then  it  began  to  look  very  much  as  if  we  would  get 
the  worst  end  of  the  bargain.  I  wish  I  was  able  to  set 
down  here  a  picture  of  our  ship  and  crew  as  we  stood  with 
our  eyes  fixed  on  the  chase,  save  at  such  times  as  it  became 
necessary  to  perform  some  task ;  but  it  is  beyond  a 
thickheaded  lad  like  me.  One  must  needs  take  part 
in  such  a  race  in  order  to  understand  all  the  sensations 
which  come  to  a  fellow  as  he  watches  eagerly  the  prog- 
ress of  the  craft,  trembhng  with  excitement  lest  the 
chase  will  escape,  and  then  feeling  the  cold  shivers  run 
down  his  spine  as  he  realizes  that  when  he  is  once 
where  he  wants  to  be,  he  may,  perhaps,  be  called  upon 


98  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX. 

to  scrape  an  acquaintance  with  death ;  for  if  all  the 
enemy  in  those  waters  were  heavily  armed,  it  was  not 
probable  every  one  would  fall  into  our  hands  as  readily 
as  had  the  Peruvian  privateer. 

It  was  the  ''  luck  of  the  Essex,''  so  Master  Hackett 
declared,  which  enabled  us  to  win  that  race ;  for  when 
the  chase  doubled  the  point  of  San  Lorenzo  we  were 
fully  three  miles  astern,  and  the  most  sanguine  among 
us  believed  that  she'd  gain  harbor  before  we  could  run 
near  enough  to  fire  a  shot. 

We  kept  on,  however,  as  if  believing  our  chances 
were  of  the  best,  although  knowing  that  in  a  short  time 
we  would  be  in  the  unfriendly  port  of  Callao,  and  ten 
minutes  later  Master  Hackett  cried  out  the  words  I  have 
just  set  down.  It  was  the  "  luck  of  the  Essex''  that  the 
wind  should  leave  the  chase  as  she  rounded  the  point, 
and  we  brought  a  good  breeze  with  us  until  we  were  less 
than  half  a  mile  off. 

Then  Lieutenant  Downes's  command  was  called  to 
quarters ;  the  small  fleet  of  boats  was  lowered  away, 
and  the  crew  bent  to  the  oars  as  if  a  fortune  of  gold 
awaited  every  man  jack  of  them. 

We  had  no  idea  but  that  the  chase  would  make  some 
kindkOf  a  fight,  and  yet,  much  though  I  disHked  running 
my  head  into  the  path  of  a  round  shot,  so  great  was  my 


AMONG  THE  WHALERS.  99 

excitement  that  I  would  have  given  all  n^  small  pos- 
sessions could  I  have  been  on  board  the  foremost  boat. 

Nor  was  Phil  Robbins  behind  me  in  enthusiasm.  As 
the  fleet  got  under  way  he  flung  his  arms  around  my 
neck  and  bawled  in  my  ears  as  if  I  had  suddenly  gone 
stone  deaf :  — 

"Why  couldn't  it  be  our  luck  to  be  there!  Why 
don't  Lieutenant  Downes  give  us  lads  half  a  chance .? " 

I  shook  him  off  just  as  Master  Hackett  came  near 
where  we  were  standing,  and  was  about  to  make  some 
impatient  reply,  for  it  seemed  as  if  we  lads  were  receiv- 
ing shabby  treatment  by  being  thus  left  out  of  all  the 
good  things  ;  but  the  old  seaman  interrupted  me  by 
saying :  — 

"  You  young  cubs  needn't  howl  because  of  not  gettin' 
the  thick  end  of  all  that's  goin'  on.  Unless  our  cap- 
tain has  changed  from  what  he  was  as  a  lieutenant 
when  we  licked  the  Turks,  you'll  get  all  the  *  burnin' 
powder*  that's  needed  before  this  cruise  comes  to  an 
end." 

Phil  and  I  were  not  greatly  consoled  at  being  thus 
told  that  our  turn  would  come  by  and  by ;  but  in  our 
chagrin  we  did  not  lose  sight  of  what  was  taking  place 
so  near  at  hand. 

We  saw  the  boats  as  they  approached  the  becalmed 


102  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE   ESSEX. 

settled  to  their  own  satisfaction  all  that  our  commander 
should  or  should  not  do. 

I  was  tired  with  hearing  their  tongues  wag,  and  had 
turned  to  go  further  aft  where  the  chin  music  was  not  so 
loud,  when  Phil  came  up,  the  expression  on  his  face  tell- 
ing plainly  that  he  had  some  important  matter  in  mind. 

"You're  to  go  to  your  cousin  to-morrow  morning, 
Ezra,  and  beg  of  him  that  we  be  given  permission  to 
join  Lieutenant  Downes's  fleet.  It  is  not  fair  that  we 
should  miss  all  the  most  exciting  portion  of  the  work 
by  being  forced  to  remain  aboard  the  Essex  when  there 
are  prizes  to  be  captured." 

"  It  may  be  exciting  enough  if  we  fall  afoul  of  a 
Britisher  who  is  in  trim  to  fight,"  I  said  grimly,  not 
minded  to  let  him  know  how  sore  my  heart  was  be- 
cause we  had  not  been  selected  by  Lieutenant  Downes 
when  he  drafted  his  crew. 

"Master  Hackett  says  we  won't  see  a  real  fight  this 
side  of  Cape  Horn,  because  there's  nothing  here  with 
metal  enough  to  stand  us  off,  except  the  British  64-gun 
Standard,  and  it's  reported  that  she  has  already  left 
Lima,  bound  for  England." 

"  We  may  find  some  craft  that  will  show  her  teeth, 
despite  all  Master  Hackett  says,"  I  replied,  little 
dreaming  how  nearly  the  truth  I  was  speaking. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  NEW  FLEET. 

IT  would  please  me  greatly  to  be  able  to  go  into  all  the 
details  of  what  was  done  by  the  officers  and  crew  of 
the  Essex  while  a  new  fleet  was  being  gotten  together, 
for  we  did  actually  collect  a  squadron  of  vessels  while 
so  far  from  the  home  port ;  but  we  met  with  so  many 
startling  adventures,  each  of  which  would  be  of  greater 
interest  to  a  stranger  than  the  setting  down  exactly  how 
that  or  the  other  vessel  was  captured,  that  I  shall  tell 
this  portion  of  the  yarn  as  briefly  as  possible. 

First  let  me  say,  however,  that  Phil  Robbins  and  I 
were  treated  by  the  men  on  the  gun-deck  more  as  ship- 
mates and  less  like  boys  after  our  adventure  in  Valpa- 
raiso, although  why  there  should  have  been  any  change 
I  am  wholly  unable  to  say,  for  we  did  nothing  of  moment, 
save  to  show,  by  our  willingness  to  accompany  Benson 
when  he  baited  the  trap  for  us,  that  we  were  more  simple 
than  lads  of  our  age  ought  to  have  been. 

It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  the  old  shellbacks 
showed  any  very  intense   desire   to   be  with  us,  and 

103 


104  WITH  PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

sometimes  plainly  said  that  the  room  we  occupied  was 
better  than  our  company ;  but  they  spoke  with  us  now 
and  then  as  if  we  were  in  fact  shipmates,  sometimes 
even  going  so  far  as  to  tell  us  a  particularly  interesting 
yarn.  It  goes  without  saying  that  we  were  forced  to 
wait  upon  the  whole  boiling  of  them,  and  were  seldom 
allowed  an  idle  hour ;  but,  to  describe  the  situation  in  a 
word,  there  was  a  decided  and  agreeable  change  so  far 
as  we  two  lads  were  concerned. 

After  the  Barclay  had  been  recaptured  and  re- 
manned,  we  stood  across  from  the  mainland  toward 
the  islands  without  meeting  a  craft  of  any  kind.  On 
the  17th  of  April  we  made  Chatham  Island,  but  were  not 
rewarded  by  the  sight  of  an  enemy,  and  a  few  days 
later  we  hove  to  off  Charles's  Island,  where  was  located 
the  whalers'  post-office. 

This  last  consisted  only  of  a  stout  box  nailed  to  a 
tree,  where  the  fishermen  deposited  letters  for  each 
other,  or  to  be  taken  home  by  the  craft  heading  in  that 
direction.  Captain  Porter  did  not  hesitate  to  rifle  the 
"  mail,"  and  by  so  doing  gained  much  valuable  informa- 
tion concerning  the  different  ships  in  the  Pacific. 

We  cruised  around  among  the  islands,  seeing  nothing 
which  interested  us  in  the  way  of  business,  until  the  29th 
of  April,  just  at  sunrise,  when  all  hands  rushed  on  deck 


THE  NEW   FLEET.  IO5 

at  the  welcome  cry  of  "  Sail  ho !  "  the  first  we  had  heard 
since  the  day  we  came  across  the  Barclay. 

A  large  ship  could  be  seen  to  the  westward,  and  an 
hour  after  we  began  the  chase  two  other  craft  were 
sighted  a  trifle  farther  south. 

With  three  ships  in  sight,  and  the  odds  in  favor  of  all 
being  enemies,  it  can  well  be  understood  that  we  were 
in  a  fine  state  of  excitement. 

Until  this  time  I  had  positively  refused  to  do  as  Phil 
desired  in  the  way  of  asking  my  cousin.  Lieutenant 
McKnight,  to  use  his  influence  with  Lieutenant  Downes 
to  the  end  that  we  might  be  considered  as  members  of 
his  fleet ;  but  on  this  morning,  when  it  seemed  positive 
there  would  be  hot  work  in  plenty  before  night,  I 
plucked  up  sufficient  courage,  as  my  kinsman  was 
standing  on  the  break  of  the  quarter,  to  approach  him. 

It  was  the  first  time  since  we  left  port  that  I  had 
ventured  so  far  as  to  speak  to  an  officer  without  first 
being  accosted,  and  Stephen  —  I  mean  Lieutenant 
McKnight  —  looked  surprised,  as  indeed  he  had  good 
cause  to  be,  since  it  is  not  customary  for  boys  aboard  a 
man-of-war  to  address  familiarly  those  who  are  so  far 
above  them  in  station. 

However,  it  so  chanced  that  the  lieutenant  was  in 
good  humor,  as  he  should  have  been  with  so  many  pes- 


I06  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

sible  prizes  in  sight,  and  kindly  answered  my  salute  by 
asking  what  I  would  have. 

Had  he  been  ashore  and  had  I  never  sailed  under  his 
command,  I  should  have  accosted  him  by  the  name  of 
Stephen,  and  made  known  my  wants  boldly ;  but  now  I 
stuttered  and  stammered  Hke  a  simple,  thus  showing 
what  a  difference  a  uniform  and  a  commission  can 
make. 

After  a  time,  however,  I  managed  to  say,  he  kindly 
encouraging  me  to  "  speak  up  man  fashion  "  :  — 

"rThere's  like  to  be  much  work  for  all  hands  before 
night,  sir,  and  Philip  Robbins  and  I  are  sore  at  heart 
because  of  never  having  a  chance  to  prove  that  we  can 
do  more  than  falls  to  the  lot  of  boys  aboard  ship." 

"  So  !  "  the  lieutenant  said  with  a  laugh.  "  You 
are  growing  down-hearted  because  there  isn't  danger 
enough  ? " 

"  It's  not  exactly  that,  sir ;  but  when  danger  does 
come,  we  want  our  full  share  of  it." 

"Then  you  have  no  cause  for  complaint,  lad.  A 
round  shot  is  as  likely  to  take  you  off  as  me ;  aboard 
ship  we  all  run  the  same  chances." 

"  But  those  who  are  under  Lieutenant  Downes  when 
his  fleet  is  called  away  are  likely  to  see  more  service 
and  have  better  opportunities   for  earning    advance- 


THE  NEW  FLEET.  IO7 

ment,"  I  stammered,  wheVeat  he  laughed  heartily,  thus 
putting  me  considerably  more  at  my  ease. 

"  You  are  eager  to  try  your  hand  at  close  work  ?  "  he 
said,  rather  than  asked ;  and  I  fancied  he  was  not  dis- 
pleased because  I  had  ventured  to  approach  him  on 
such  an  errand. 

"  That  is  what  we  most  desire,  sir,"  I  replied.  "  If 
you  could  only  persuade  Lieutenant  Downes  to  take 
us  with  him  when  next  the  boats  are  called  away,  I 
would  do  anything  I  could  to  repay  you  when  we  get 
ashore." 

"  But  what  would  my  uncle,  your  father,  say  when  I 
saw  him  ?  Do  you  think  he  is  as  eager  that  his  son 
should  be  shot  as  you  are  ?  " 

"  We're  not  counting  on  that  part  of  it,  sir.  All  who 
come  to  close  quarters  with  an  enemy  are  not  shot,  else 
you  would  never  be  standing  on  this  quarter-deck,  wear- 
ing the  uniform  of  a  lieutenant." 

He  smiled  at  this  bold  speech  of  mine,  whereat  I 
plucked  up  courage  sufficient  to  continue  by  saying  :  — 

"  Unless  you  had  been  given  an  opportunity  of  show- 
ing what  you  could  do,  a  commission  would  never  have 
come  your  way." 

"  Now  we  are  getting  at  the  real  reason  for  this  re- 
quest ! "  he  exclaimed  cheerily.      "  You   and   Robbins 


I08  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

believe  that  by  taking  part  in  one  sharp  engagement 
rapid  advancement  is  assured  ?  " 

"We  never  will  advance,  sir,  until  we  have  shown 
ourselves  worthy,  and  there  is  no  great  chance  of  doing 
good  work  while  we  loiter  on  board  when  others  are 
paving  their  way  to  a  commission." 

"  You  speak  right  sensibly,  Cousin  Ezra,"  he  said,  in 
a  tone  which  went  straight  to  my  heart ;  for  it  proved 
that  he  had  not  forgotten  the  ties  of  kinship  which 
bound  us,  even  though  he  was  so  much  higher  in  sta- 
tion. "  I  will  do  all  I  may  properly  to  persuade  Mr. 
Downes  to  take  you  under  his  wing.  If  I  succeed, 
remember  that  I  would  be  equally  shamed  if  you 
showed  the  white  feather." 

"  None  of  the  McKnights  have  ever  done  anything 
of  the  kind,  sir,  and  it's  not  likely  your  cousin  would 
be  the  first  to  write  himself  down  a  coward." 

*'  I  begin  to  believe  that  you're  of  the  right  sort, 
Ezra ;  and  if  you  don't  make  your  way  in  the  navy,  it 
won't  be  because  I  haven't  done  my  share  toward  it." 

Surely,  a  lad  could  not  ask  for  a  fairer  promise  than 
that ;  and  after  saluting  properly  I  went  forward,  feeling 
remarkably  well  pleased  with  myself. 

I  found  Phil  on  the  forecastle-deck,  and  the  lad  was 
so  overjoyed  by  the  news,  having  come  to  believe  I 


THE  NEW  FLEET.  ,  IO9 

would  never  dare  ask  such  a  favor  of  my  cousin,  that 
he  would  have  kissed  me  then  and  there,  but  I  sprang 
back  in  time  to  prevent  an  exhibition  which  must  have 
made  us  the  laughing-stock  of  all  our  messmates. 

From  this  time  on  it  can  well  be  imagined  that  we 
watched  the  chase  with  even  more  of  interest  than 
would  ordinarily  have  been  displayed,  and  Phil  said 
again  and  again  that  he  hoped  the  wind  would  die 
away,  so  we  might  be  called  to  the  boats. 

If  all  his  wishes  could  have  been  granted  so  quickly, 
he  might  have  counted  himself  the  most  fortunate  lad 
in  all  the  world. 

We  rapidly  overhauled  the  ship  first  sighted,  and  it 
was  no  more  than  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  when  we 
came  within  half  a  mile,  pitching  a  shot  across  her  bows 
which  brought  her  to  in  short  order. 

The  Essex  was  run  within  hailing  distance,  and  then 
we  learned  that  our  prize  was  the  British  whaleship 
Montezuma,  with  fourteen  hundred  barrels  of  oil  on 
board. 

We  could  not  afford  to  spend  very  much  time  on 
her  because  the  other  two  craft  were  near  at  hand, 
and  without  further  ceremony  than  that  of  hailing  to 
learn  who  she  was,  a  prize  crew  was  called  away  to 
board  her. 


no  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX. 

We  waited  only  long  enough  to  make  certain  our 
men  were  not  opposed  when  they  went  over  the  rail, 
and  then  the  Essex  v^diS  headed  for  the  other  ships, 
both  of  whom  were  clawing  off  at  the  best  possible 
speed. 

For  two  hours  we  cracked  on  every  inch  of  canvas 
that  could  be  spread,  overhauling  the  strangers  in 
fine  style,  and  then,  while  we  were  yet  fully  eight 
miles  distant,  Phil's  wish  was  granted.  The  wind  died 
away  so  suddenly  that,  save  for  the  general  excite- 
ment of  taking  prizes,  all  hands  would  have  been  on 
the  lookout  for  a  squall,  and  Phil  cried  in  my  ear: — . 

"  Now  we  shall  see  something  of  real  business. 
Those  craft  won't  submit  tamely  to  our  small  boats, 
and  we  shall  know  what  a  sea-fight  is  like ! " 

I  believed  he  spoke  only  the  truth,  and  once  more 
the  cold  shivers  chased  themselves  up  and  down  my 
backbone ;  for  despite  all  the  fine  words  with  which  I 
had  regaled  my  cousin,  I  was  not  really  hankering 
to  put  myself  in  the  way  of  the  smallest  shot  that 
might  be  fired.  The  mischief  had  been  done,  how- 
ever, and  by  no  one  but  myself ;  therefore  the  least 
I  could  do  was  to  look  pleasant,  although  I  hoped 
most  fervently  that  Mr.  Downes  would  give  no  heed 
to  my  cousin's  request. 


THE  NEW   FLEET.  Ill 

In  this  last  I  was  most  wofuUy  disappointed,  for 
Phil  had  hardly  more  than  ceased  speaking  when  a 
marine  came  to  summon  me  aft. 

I  went,  knowing  full  well  why  the  order  had  been 
sent,  and  blaming  myself  for  a  meddling  fool,  when 
by  holding  my  tongue  I  might  have  remained  safe 
and  sound  on  board  the  Essex  instead  of  pulling  a 
heavy  oar  two  or  three  hours  simply  that  the  Brit- 
ishers could  have  an  opportunity  to  kill  me. 

Lieutenant  Downes  was  on  the  quarter  talking  with 
Captain  Porter  when  I  came  up,  and  not  until  his  in- 
terview with  the  commander  was  come  to  an  end  did 
he  turn  toward  me.     Then  it  was  to  say :  — 

"  So  you  and  your  comrade  are  eager  for  a  taste 
of  boat-work?" 

I  could  do  no  less  than  agree  with  him  after  all  the 
fine  speeches  I  had  made  to  my  cousin ;  and  he  said,  as 
if  believing  he  was  doing  me  a  wonderful  favor :  — 

"When  the  boat  crews  are  called  away,  you  two 
lads  will  take  your  places  alongside  me.  I  have 
promised  Mr.  McKnight  to  have  an  eye  out  on  you 
bloodthirsty  youngsters,  and  it  won't  be  my  fault  if 
he  doesn't  hear  exactly  how  you  behaved  under 
fire." 

If   I  had   not  been  on   the   quarter-deck   I    believe 


112  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE   ESSEX. 

of  a  verity  I  should  have  groaned;  as  it  was  I  said 
to  my  miserable  self  that  if  we  caught  it  very  hot,  my 
cousin  would  wish  I  had  never  been  born. 

I  thanked  the  lieutenant  in  a  shaky  voice,  and,  salut- 
ing, went  forward  to  wreak  my  vengeance  on  Phil  for 
having  persuaded  me  into  such  a  scrape  when  there 
was  no  sense  in  it. 

I  changed  my  mind  very  quickly  after  joining  the 
lad ;  he,  like  me,  had  grown  faint-hearted  now  the 
opportunity  for  hot  work  was  close  at  hand,  and  I 
knew  by  the  expression  on  his  face  that  he  regretted, 
as  did  I,  having  made  any  such  foolish  request. 

"  I  suppose  we've  got  to  go,"  he  said  in  a  faint 
tone;  and  the  contrast  between  his  manner  now  and 
when  I  first  told  him  what  my  cousin  had  promised, 
was  so  comical  that  I  could  not  keep  my  face 
straight.  "  It's  all  very  well  for  you  who  are  really 
brave,"  he  continued,  believing  from  the  smile  on  my 
face  that  there  was  no  fear  in  my  heart;  "but  I 
don't  think  I  want  to  go." 

Since  he  had  given  me  the  credit  of  being  brave 
when,  as  a  matter  ,of  fact,  I  was  more  cowardly  even 
than  he,  I  did  not  propose  to  undeceive  him,  but  said 
as  stoutly  as  possible  :  — 

"You  can't  back  out  now,  Phil,  else  every  man  on 


THE  NEW  FLEET.  II3 

board  will  set  you  down  for  the  veriest  kind  of  a 
coward." 

*'  That's  just  what  I  am,"  he  whispered,  and  again  I 
laughed,  this  time  because  I  had  earned  the  reputation 
of  being  stout-hearted  when  any  lamb  would  have  out- 
classed me  in  that  respect. 

We  were  not  given  much  time  to  mourn  over  the 
situation.  Our  conversation  was  hardly  more  than 
come  to  its  sorrowful  end  when  the  word  was  given  for 
the  crews  of  the  boats  to  stand  ready,  and  we  two  lads 
ranged  ourselves  meekly  beside  Mr.  Downes. 

We  embarked  in  proper  fashion  once  the  boats  came 
alongside,  and  were  stationed  in  the  stern-sheets  near 
the  lieutenant,  when  it  would  have  been  more  to  my 
liking  had  we  been  forced  to  work  the  oars ;  for  by  so 
doing  we  might  keep  our  thoughts  from  what  seemed 
surely  to  be  before  us. 

As  I  have  said,  it  was  about  eleven  o'clock  when  the 
wind  died  out,  and  the  Essex  was  fully  eight  miles  from 
the  nearest  stranger. 

I  could  see  that  the  men  were  settling  to  the  oars  for 
a  long  pull,  and  the  knowledge  that  whatsoever  danger 
awaited  us  was  an  hour  or  more  in  the  future  enabled 
me  to  keep  my  cowardly  fears  in  check.  Phil  also 
revived  when  he   understood   that   some   considerable 


114  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX. 

time  must  elapse  before  we  had  come  within  range  of 
the  enemy's  guns,  and  looked  quite  cheerful  as  we 
answered  the  cheers  of  those  on  board  the  Essex. 

Not  until  two  o'clock,  and  by  that  time  I  was  terribly 
cramped  with  sitting  so  long  in  one  position,  did  we 
come  near  the  strangers.  Then  we  were  about  a  mile 
distant  when  they  hoisted  the  British  colors  and  opened 
fire. 

We  were  so  far  away,  and  their  aim  was  so  bad,  that 
the  shots  failed  to  come  within  an  hundred  yards  of  us, 
whereat  my  courage  increased  once  more ;  my  heart 
came  out  of  my  boots  where  it  had  gone  at  the  sound 
of  the  first  gun,  and  I  began  to  think  the  danger  was 
not  so  great  as  had  been  represented. 

Phil  remained  silent,  clutching  my  belt,  and  I  could 
feel  his  hand  trembling  violently. 

"They  can't  send  a  shot  anywhere  near  us,"  I  whis- 
pered encouragingly. 

"  Ay,  there's  little  danger  while  we're  so  far  away ; 
but  we're  going  nearer  each  moment,  and  then  of  a 
surety  they  must  strike  us." 

This  was  a  very  unpleasant  suggestion,  and  I  ceased 
my  efforts  at  bolstering  up  his  courage  as  I  tried  to 
stiffen  my  own. 

The  Britishers  were  lying  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile 


THE  NEW   FLEET. 


115 


apart,  and  because  the  men  were  at  the  guns  ready  for 
action,  I  fancied  we  were  very  near  a  bloody  engage- 
ment. 

Lieutenant  Downes  gave  a  command  for  the  boats  to 
form  in  open  order,  and  each  craft  shot  out  of  line  until 
she  was  heading  a  course  of  her  own,  the  whole  advanc- 
ing after  the  fashion  of  the  sticks  of  a  fan. 

It  seemed  strange  to  me  that  the  enemy  ceased  firing 
at  the  moment  we  began  the  advance  in  proper  fashion. 
We  could  see  that  on  board  the  nearest  ship  they  were 
training  their  guns  on  us,  and  expected  each  instant 
one  of  our  craft  would  be  struck,  yet  not  a  piece  was 
discharged. 

Nearer  and  nearer  we  approached,  until  it  was  possi- 
ble to  see  distinctly  every  person  on  deck ;  but  still  the 
guns  remained  silent. 

I  hardly  dared  to  breathe,  nor  would  I  look  at  Phil 
lest  he  should  read  in  my  eyes  the  fear  that  was  in  my 
heart. 

We  were  come  within  fifty  yards ;  every  gun  on  the 
port  side  was  trained  upon  us,  and  the  officers  on  the 
quarter  stood  as  if  on  the  point  of  giving  the  order  to 
open  fire. 

I  shut  my  eyes,  for  it  seemed  certain  that  the  battle 
could  not  longer  be  delayed,  and  to  my  mind  there  was 


Il6  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

little  chance  any  of  our  boats  would  survive  the  first 
broadside. 

The  rousing  cheers  of  the  men  startled  me  into  open- 
ing my  eyes  again,  and  for  an  instant  I  could  not 
understand  the  meaning  of  the  shouts;  but  Phil  soon 
enlightened  me  as  he  exclaimed  in  a  tone  of  most 
intense  relief :  — 

"  They've  struck  their  colors !  They've  struck  their 
colors ! " 

It  was  indeed  a  fact,  and  our  boat's  crew  scrambled 
on  board,  we  two  lads  following  in  silent  amazement, 
hardly  conscious  of  what  we  were  doing  until  Lieuten- 
ant Downes  began  calling  off  the  names  of  those  who 
would  remain  on  board  as  prize  crew. 

We  had  captured  the  Georgiana^  a  British  whaler 
which  had  originally  been  built  for  the  East  India 
Company's  service,  and  was  credited  with  being  a  fast 
sailer.  She  was  pierced  for  eighteen  guns,  but  had 
only  six  mounted  when  we  took  possession  of  her. 

After  the  crew  had  been  sent  below,  the  hatches 
closed,  and  the  officers  were  imprisoned  in  the  cabin. 
Lieutenant  Downes  called  away  such  of  our  men  as  had 
been  selected  to  man  the  prize,  and  off  we  went  to  try 
conclusions  with  the  second  craft. 

By  this  time  Phil  and  I  were  quite  brave ;  we  had 


THE  NEW   FLEET.  11/ 

come  to  understand  that  danger  cannot  be  lessened  by 
fear,  and  were  disposed  to  believe  that  the  British 
whalers  were  not  such  fighters  as  had  been  supposed. 

Our  small  fleet  dashed  on  toward  the  second  ship  in 
the  same  order  as  when  we  came  upon  the  Georgiana^ 
and  the  same  peaceful  capture  was  ours.  All  the  ship's 
crew  were  at  the  guns,  yet  they  hauled  down  their 
colors  when  we  were  close  upon  them,  and  the  Essex 
had  taken  three  prizes  in  one  day. 

This  last  ship  proved  to  be  the  Policy,  a  whaler, 
pierced  for  eighteen  guns  and  having  ten  mounted. 

How  our  men  cheered  when  we  were  on  board  the 
third  prize  without  so  much  as  a  scratch  !  It  was  some- 
thing to  boast  of,  this  taking  three  fine  ships  in  one  day, 
and  again  did  it  appear  as  if  the  "luck  of  the  Essex'' 
was  an  established  fact. 

Lieutenant  Downes  did  not  think  it  necessary  to  pull 
back  to  the  frigate  now  that  the  work  was  finished  and 
there  did  not  appear  to  be  anything  of  importance  on 
hand.  The  crews  were  set  about  this  trifling  duty  or 
that,  and  we  waited  until  sunset  for  a  wind,  when  the 
prizes  were  sailed  down  to  where  the  flagship  lay  close 
alongside  the  Barclay  and  the  Montezuma. 

It  was  a  veritable  fleet  which  Captain  Porter  now  had 
under  his  command,  and  the  only  drawback  was  the 


Il8  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX. 

number  of  prisoners  we  were  forced  to  look  after ;  but 
that  was  a  trifling  matter  when  one  considered  it  as  the 
only  cost  of  four  fine  ships. 

Master  Hackett  thought  it  proper  to  compliment  Phil 
and  me  on  our  manliness  in  applying  for  permission  to 
go  with  Lieutenant  Downes  at  a  time  when  it  seemed 
positive  there  was  hot  work  ahead,  and  I  felt  much  as 
though  I  was  acting  a  lie  when  I  remained  silent  while 
the  old  man  was  bestowing  so  much  praise  upon  us. 

If  he  had  known  all  that  was  in  our  hearts  as  we  were 
pulling  toward  the  whalers,  I  question  if  he  would  so 
much  as  have  spoken  to  us  again. 

Now  we  two,  Phil  and  I,  began  to  ask  ourselves  if  we 
were  regularly  drafted  to  Mr.  Downes's  fleet,  or  whether 
we  had  been  taken  for  that  one  cruise  only;  and,  ashamed 
though  I  should  be  to  confess  it,  there  was  a  great  hope 
in  my  heart  that  in  the  future  we  would  be  forced  to 
remain  on  board  the  Essex  when  there  was  any  more 
cutting  out  to  be  done. 

Before  another  day  had  come  to  an  end  we  of  the 
gun-deck  learned,  through  one  of  the  marines,  as  a 
matter  of  course,  that  Captain  Porter  had  decided  to 
equip  the  Georgiana  as  a  cruiser,  with  Lieutenant 
Downes  as  commander.  By  so  doing  he  would  have 
an  able  assistant  in  searching  for  the  enemy,  and  also  a 


THE  NEW   FLEET.  II9 

consort  on  which  the  crew  of  the  Essex  might  find 
refuge  in  case  of  any  serious  injury  to  the  frigate. 

And  now  it  was  that,  remaining  at  sea  as  if  we  were 
in  dock,  the  work  of  making  the  fleet  ready  for  service 
was  begun ;  and  the  old  shellbacks  insisted  that  by  so 
doing  we  were  adding  to  the  marvellous  achievements 
of  our  ship.  She  had  sailed  halfway  around  the  world, 
depending  upon  the  enemy  for  supplies,  going  where 
there  could  be  no  possibility  of  receiving  assistance  in 
case  she  was  overtaken  by  disaster,  —  which  was  some- 
thing that  had  never  been  attempted  before,  —  and  now 
we  were  to  eclipse  even  that  feat  by  remodelling  the 
enemy's  merchantmen  into  war  vessels  while  in  mid- 
ocean,  using  for  the  purpose  supplies  we  had  just 
captured. 

If  ever  there  was  a  case  of  living  on  the  enemy,  ours 
surely  was  this  situation. 

From  this  day  until  the  difficult  task  had  been  per- 
formed every  man  and  boy  was  kept  busy  from  early 
dawn  until  darkness  rendered  it  difficult  to  see  what  we 
were  about;  and  in  this  general  furbishing  our  own  ship 
was  not  neglected.  The  rigging  of  the  Essex  was  over- 
hauled and  tarred ;  strained  spars  were  replaced  by 
new  ones,  and  the  frigate  was  given  a  complete  coat  of 
paint. 


I^  WITH   PORTER   IN   THE   ESSEX. 

The  Georgiana  was  transformed  by  the  taking  down 
of  her  try-work,  which  had  been  used  for  getting  oil 
from  the  blubber  of  whales,  and  all  the  small  arms 
from  the  other  prizes  were  sent  on  board.  She  was 
given  her  full  complement  of  guns,  those  from  the 
Policy  being  transshipped,  and  on  the  i8th  day  of  May 
Lieutenant  Commandant  Downes  hoisted  the  American 
pennant  on  board  the  Georgiana,  i6,  firing  a  salute  of 
seventeen  guns,  all  of  which  were  answered  by  the 
Essex,  while  the  remaining  prizes  made  as  much  noise 
as  was  possible. 

We  had  a  great  celebration  that  day  when  a  new 
ship  was  added  to  the  United  States  Navy,  and  the 
cooks  did  their  share  toward  it  by  filling  our  duff  so 
full  of  plums  that  one  could  almost  believe  he  was 
eating  a  regular,  home-made  pudding. 

The  manning  of  our  prizes  cost  us  so  many  of  our 
crew  that  after  all  the  ships  were  in  sailing  trim  we 
had  on  board  the  Essex  only  two  hundred  and  sixty- 
four,  including  officers,  a  small  number,  as  Master 
Hackett  declared,  to  handle  the  frigate  in  case  we 
found  ourselves  in  action,  —  an  event  which  seemed  only 
too  probable  when  it  should  be  known  in  England 
what  mischief  we  were  working  among  the  whalers. 

Our  new  man-of-war  was  given  a  fair  trial  to  prove 


THE   NEW   FLEET.  121 

whether  she  was  as  good  a  sailer  as  had  been  believed, 
and  we  soon  learned  that  the  Britishers  were  decidedly 
at  fault  regarding  her.  She  could  not  hold  her  own 
with  the  Essex  even  under  the  most  favorable  circum- 
stances ;  but  yet  she  was  by  no  means  a  tub,  and  might 
be  of  great  service  before  falling  in  with  an  enemy 
sufficiently  heavy  to  send  her  to  the  bottom. 

Four  days  after  being  put  into  commission  the 
Georgiana  set  off  on  an  independent  cruise,  and  we 
hung  around  Charles's  Island  until  the  28th  of  May 
before  sighting  another  sail. 

Then  one  hove  in  sight  dead  ahead,  and,  success 
having  made  us  confident,  we  piled  on  the  canvas, 
believing  she  was  the  same  as  ours  already. 

Our  three  prizes,  with  good  working  crews,  were 
close  aboard  us  at  the  moment  the  stranger  was 
sighted,  and  away  we  dashed  in  the  finest  style,  ready 
to  meet  anything  from  a  line-of-battle  ship  to  a  couple 
of  frigates. 

The  chase  was  begun  late  in  the  afternoon,  and  we 
held  on  all  night,  keeping  her  well  in  sight,  and 
heaving  in  view  another  sail  of  which  we  took  no 
notice,  save  to  send  a  couple  of  boats  after  her,  for 
the  bird  which  we  had  almost  in  our  hand  was  worth 
any  twg  w^ll  dowr^  on  the  hpri^pn. 


122  WITH    PORTER   IN   THE   ESSEX. 

The  stranger  was  a  big  ship,  and  sailed  well ;  but 
she  could  not  hold  her  own  with  the  Essex^  and  by 
nine  o'clock  next  morning  we  were  alongside  with  the 
crew  at  quarters. 

We  believed  of  a  verity  that  this  fellow  would  fight, 
since  he  had  ten  ports  on  a  side,  and  once  more  did  I 
feel  too  nervous  for  comfort;  but  no  sooner  were  we 
in  a  position  to  open  the  battle  than  she  surrendered, 
and  we  were  in  possession  of  the  British  whaler  Atlan- 
tic^ of  three  hundred  and  fifty-five  tons  burden,  carry- 
ing twenty-four  men.  She  had  eight  eighteen-pounders 
mounted,  and  might  have  held  us  in  check  long  enough 
to  show  that  English  sailors  are  the  gluttons  at  fight- 
ing which  they  claim  to  be. 

No  sooner  had  we  thrown  a  prize  crew  on  board, 
and  seen  to  it  that  the  Britishers  were  secured  where 
they  couldn't  make  any  trouble  for  our  men,  than  the 
Essex  was  put  about  in  chase  of  the  sail  we  had 
sighted  during  the  night,  our  consorts  following  a  long 
distance  in  our  wake,  unable  to  keep  the  pace  we  were 
setting. 

We  came  up  with  the  chase  about  noon,  and  then 
were  becalmed  within  two  miles  of  her. 

She  appeared  to  be  heavily  armed,  and  we  were 
short-handed  in  consequence  of  having  distributed  so 


THE  NEW   FLEET.  123 

many  men  among  the  prizes  taken  thus  far,  as  well  as 
sending  out  the  two  boats,  which  had  probably  been 
picked  up  by  some  of  our  fleet  before  this  time. 

To  equip  the  fleet  of  small  boats  would  require  nearly 
every  man  and  boy  on  board,  leaving  no  one  to  handle 
the  frigate  in  case  the  wind  sprang  up,  and  as  we  noted 
this  fact  —  I  mean  as  the  old  shellbacks  discussed  it  — 
Master  Hackett  said  to  me  with  a  long-drawn  sigh  of 
relief :  — 

"  It's  the  luck  of  the  Essex  to  find  Britishers  so  plen- 
tiful ;  but  this  time  she's  got  more'n  a  mouthful,  an' 
that  fellow  yonder  is  like  to  give  us  the  slip  unless  our 
slow-movin'  prizes  work  up  this  way  before  the  wind 
rises." 

"  Do  you  mean,  Master  Hackett,  that  we  can't  make 
any  effort  at  capturing  her .'' "  I  asked  in  surprise. 

"  Look  about  an'  see  if  that  ain't  the  size  of  it.  Do 
you  reckon  Captain  Porter  would  strip  his  own  ship, 
leavin'  her  helpless  in  case  this  'ere  calm  ended  with  a 
squall.'"' 

It  surely  did  not  seem  possible  our  commander  would 
do  anything  of  the  kind,  and  my  heart  was  heavy  as  I 
gazed  at  the  Britisher  lying  so  near  at  hand  and  we 
unable  to  so  much  as  come  up  with  her. 

Before  our  crew  had  much  time  for  discussion  we 


124  WITH    PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

were  startled,  and  some  of  the  oldest  hands  almost 
frightened,  by  being  called  to  man  the  boats ;  and  our 
surprise  may  be  imagined  when  we  learned  that  every 
craft  was  to  be  sent  off. 

I  saw  the  old  shellbacks  looking  at  each  other  fur- 
tively, exchanging  odd  glances  and  shrugging  their 
shoulders  as  much  as  to  say  that  Captain  Porter  must 
have  taken  leave  of  his  senses ;  but  into  the  boats  they 
went,  and  all  hands  followed  until  there  were  none  left 
aboard  the  frigate  except  the  captain  himself,  the  chap- 
lain, the  captain's  clerk,  and  the  boatswain. 

Four  men  only  to  look  after  the  Essex  in  case  of 
sudden  danger,  or  in  event  of  our  being  forced  to  sur- 
render !  It  surely  seemed  as  if  we  were  gazing  upon 
the  frigate  for  the  last  time,  when  the  boats  were  pulled 
away,  and  I  heard  Master  Hackett  mutter  to  the  man 
nearest  him :  — 

"  Take  your  good-by  squint  at  the  old  hooker, 
matey,  for  I'm  reckonin'  there's  many  a  chance  you'll 
never  see  her  again.  I'm  willin'  to  admit  that  a  man- 
o'-warsman  is  bound  to  run  many  a  risk ;  but  this  'ere 
beats  anything  I  ever  saw  or  heard  of  before." 

And  from  the  expression  on  the  faces  of  all  I  under- 
stood that  to  a  man  the  crew  believed  we  were  going 
far  beyond  our  duty,  —  which  fact,  as  may  well  be  imag- 


THE  NEW   FLEET.  125 

ined,  was  not  calculated  to  make  me  very  comfortable 
in  mind.  There  were  an  hundred  things  likely  to 
happen  that  would  leave  us  without  a  ship,  and  it  was 
by  no  means  even  chances  that  we  could  gain  a  foot- 
hold on  the  deck  of  the  stranger.  Surely,  the  day  must 
come  when  we  should  find  a  Britisher  who  would  fight, 
even  though  he  was  no  more  than  a  whaler,  and  this 
might  be  the  day. 

Looking  back  I  could  see  Captain  Porter  pacing  the 
quarter-deck,  and  I  wondered  if  he  beHeved  himself 
fully  justified  in  thus  leaving  the  frigate  to  the  mercy 
of  the  sea  and  weather  when  we  might  not  succeed  in 
our  errand. 

However,  it  was  not  for  a  lad  like  me  to  speculate  as 
to  whether  the  captain  was  going  beyond  duty  and 
reason.  I  was  a  member  of  the  boat's  crew,  and  as 
such  must  do  my  utmost  to  make  of  the  expedition  a 
success,  regardless  of  what  threatened  the  Essex. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

A  CALL  FOR  VOLUNTEERS. 

OUR  fears  as  to  what  fate  might  overtake  the 
Essex  while  we  were  away  and  she  had  only 
four  men  to  care  for  her,  were  forgotten  in  a  great 
measure  as  we  neared  the  Britisher. 

Probably  the  question  in  the  minds  of  all  was  as 
to  whether  the  stranger  would  show  fight.  I  know 
it  fully  occupied  my  thoughts;  but,  greatly  to  my 
surprise,  I  was  not  very  much  afraid  of  what 
might  happen.  Perhaps  because  there  were  so  many 
things  to  think  about,  I  gave  less  heed  to  the  enemy 
than  I  would  have  done  under  other  circumstances. 

There  is  no  good  reason  why  I  should  spin  out 
this  portion  of  the  yarn  any  longer  than  is  abso- 
lutely necessary,  more  especially  since  there  is  so 
much  of  later  happening  and  greater  importance  to 
be  set  down. 

It  is  enough  to  say  that  we  approached  the  enemy 
in  proper  fashion,  ready  for  any  kind  of  a  scrim- 
mage, and  instead   of   firing   a   gun   he   hauled   down 

126 


A   CALL   FOR  VOLUNTEERS.  1 27 

his  colors  as  the  others  had  done.  Cowardly  though 
I  was,  it  disappointed  me  because  these  Britishers 
submitted  so  tamely. 

We  now  had,  as  the  second  prize  of  the  day,  the 
letter  of  marque  ship  Greenwich^  three  hundred  and 
thirty-eight  tons  burden,  carrying  ten  guns  and  a  crew 
of  twenty-five  men. 

Captain  Porter  had  taken  many  chances  in  sending 
us  all  away  at  the  same  time,  yet  by  doing  so  he  had 
gained  another  prize  which,  had  she  been  left  at 
liberty,  might  have  worked  serious  mischief  to  our 
merchantmen. 

It  can  readily  be  supposed  that  we  did  not  lose 
any  time  in  getting  back  to  the  frigate.  Men  enough 
to  take  care  of  the  prisoners  and  work  the  prize  were 
left  on  board,  and  the  remainder  of  us  pulled  to  the 
Essex  at  full  speed,  feeling,  when  we  went  on  deck 
once  more,  as  if  the  old  ship  had  escaped  some 
deadly  peril. 

By  the  time  the  remainder  of  our  fleet  came  up, 
bringing  with  them  the  two  boats  we  had  sent  out 
during  the  night,  the  Essex  was  lying  alongside  two 
fine  prizes  which  had  not  cost  us  a  single  charge  of 
powder. 

We   now   had   four   prizes,  in   addition    to   the  Bar- 


128  With  porter  in  the  Essex. 

clay^  and  I  was  arguing  with  Phil  as  to  how  it  would 
be  possible  to  care  for  them  all,  and  at  the  same 
time  take  any  more,  when  Master  Hackett  joined  us. 

"  I  reckon  you  lads  think  the  old  Essex  has  got 
about  as  much  as  she  can  stagger  under,  eh  ? "  he 
began;  and  I  repeated  to  him  what  Phil  and  I  had 
been  saying. 

"  I  allow  we've  got  a  good  big  job  on  our  hands, 
lads,"  the  old  man  said,  speaking  thoughtfully,  as  if 
weighing  well  every  word,  "an'  now's  come  the  time 
when  Captain  Porter  is  bound  to  make  port.  We're 
feedin'  a  crowd  of  men,  an*  can't  do  any  great  amount 
of  work  with  so  many  craft  to  look  after." 

*'  Will  we  go  to  Valparaiso .'' "  Phil  asked,  thinking 
of  Benson. 

"  It's  beyond  an  old  shellback  like  me  to  say,  lad ; 
but  if  I  was  the  captain  of  this  'ere  frigate,  I'd 
think  twice  before  I  poked  my  nose  into  that  port 
the  second  time." 

"Why.?     They  treated  us  well  before." 

"  Ay,  an'  that's  why  I'd  keep  my  weather-eye 
liftin'  while  we're  in  these  waters.  England  is  a 
strong  nation,  an'  these  'ere  young  republics  won't 
dare  hold  out  against  her  commands  very  long. 
There'll  be  a  big  lot  of  kickin'  in  Great  Britain  when 


A  CALL   FOR   VOLUNTEERS.  129 

word  is  sent  there  of  what  we've  been  doin',  an' 
you'll  find  that  she'll  shut  every  port  on  the  Pacific 
against  us." 

I  did  not  fully  understand  all  Master  Hackett  said ; 
but  no  particular  harm  was  done  because  of  my  igno- 
rance, since  it  matters  little  whether  a  boy  aboard 
ship  knows  the  whys  and  wherefores  of  everything. 

However,  there  must  have  been  good  reasoning  in 
the  old  man's  words,  since  Captain  Porter  did  exactly 
that  which  Master  Hackett  would  have  advised. 

When  prize  crews  were  on  board  all  our  captured 
ships  we  were  so  short  of  hands  that  Lieutenant 
Gamble  of  the  marines  was  given  charge  of  the 
Greefiivich,  because  we  had  no  naval  officer  to  put  in 
command,  and  the  entire  fleet  was  gotten  under  way 
without  unnecessary  delay. 

None  of  us  on  the  gun-deck  knew  for  what  port  we 
were  bound,  until  the  19th  of  June,  when  we  ran  into 
the  harbor  of  Tumbez,  and  came  to  anchor. 

Why  it  was,  none  of  our  old  sea  lawyers  could  deter- 
mine satisfactorily ;  but  not  one  of  the  crew  was  given 
shore  liberty.  There  was  no  unusual  amount  of  work 
to  be  done  on  the  ships,  yet  we  were  kept  aboard  as 
close  as  if  there  was  danger  some  of  us  might  desert. 

The  captain  went  on  shore  every  day  to  bargain  for 


130  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX. 

provisions  to  be  paid  for  with  the  money  we  captured 
from  the  Nocton,  and  boatloads  of  stores  were  put 
aboard  this  ship  or  that;  therefore  it  was  certain  the 
inhabitants  were  friendly,  or  would  be  so  long  as  our 
cash  lasted. 

There  was  no  little  amount  of  grumbling  because  we 
were  kept  so  snug ;  but  as  a  matter  of  course  none  of 
the  hard  words  were  spoken  where  they  might  be  over- 
heard by  the  officers,  therefore  nothing  came  of  it. 

Five  days  after  we  let  go  our  ground  tackle  three  sail 
were  seen  standing  into  the  bay,  and  we  were  sum- 
moned to  get  the  frigate  under  way,  but  the  order  was 
countermanded  when  those  on  the  foremost  ship  low- 
ered a  boat  as  if  to  come  ashore. 

Captain  Porter  waited  to  learn  who  the  visitors  were, 
and  soon  we  had  the  great  satisfaction  of  seeing  Lieu- 
tenant Downes  in  the  stern-sheets  of  the  boat,  although 
it  puzzled  us  not  a  little  as  to  why  he  had  returned  thus 
soon. 

Of  course  the  lieutenant  came  on  board  the  Essex, 
as  did  those  who  had  manned  his  boat,  and  we  of  the 
gun-deck  heard  the  whole  story  of  the  Georgiana  s 
adventures  while  Mr.  Downes  was  having  his  confab  in 
the  cabin. 

And  what  a  story  it  was  !     We  cheered  and  yelled  as 


A  CALL   FOR   VOLUNTEERS.  13I 

our  old  shipmates  spun  it  off,  and  nearly  went  wild 
with  rejoicing. 

Here  is  the  yarn  boiled  down,  and  that  it  was  true 
we  knew  full  well,  for  yonder  were  the  prizes  coming  to 
close  under  the  Georgiana  stern. 

It  seems  that  after  leaving  us  Lieutenant  Downes 
cruised  off  James's  Island,  where  he  fell  in  with  two 
Britishers.  Hoisting  the  English  colors,  he  soon  had 
the  captains  of  the  whalers  sitting  comfortably  in  his 
cabin,  and  then  he  told  them  who  he  was.  Well,  the 
prizes  were  taken  without  resistance,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  and  the  United  States  entered  into  possession, 
less  what  prize  money  would  be  coming  to  us,  of  the 
ship  Catherine  of  two  hundred  and  seventy  tons  burden, 
carrying  eight  guns  and  twenty-nine  men,  and  the 
Rose,  two  hundred  and  twenty  tons,  eight  guns  and 
twenty-one  men. 

After  manning  these  prizes.  Lieutenant  Downes  had 
only  twenty  as  a  crew  all  told,  and  yet  that  fact  did  not 
prevent  him  from  giving  chase  next  day  to  the  whaler 
Hector,  a  ship  of  two  hundred  and  seventy  tons,  twenty- 
five  men,  and  carrying  eleven  guns,  although  she  was 
pierced  for  twenty. 

This  last  craft  was  a  Britisher  who  stood  ready  to 
fight,  and  when  Mr.  Downes  understood  that  he  had  an 


132  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

action  on  his  hands,  with  hardly  men  enough  to  work 
his  ship,  he  put  the  prisoners  in  irons  so  that  they 
might  not  be  able  to  lend  a  hand  to  their  countrymen. 

When  the  Hector  was  ordered  to  surrender  she  re- 
fused, and  Mr.  Downes  let  her  have  a  broadside  which 
brought  down  her  main-topmast.  The  crew  had  good 
pluck,  however,  and  fought  their  ship  until  nearly  all 
her  standing  and  running  rigging  was  shot  away,  when 
they  could  do  no  less  than  haul  down  their  colors.  The 
Britishers  had  two  men  killed  and  six  wounded. 

After  putting  a  prize  crew  on  board  this  last  capture. 
Lieutenant  Downes  had  but  ten  men  left  in  the  Geor- 
giana,  and,  including  the  wounded,  he  held  seventy-three 
prisoners.  Now  it  seems  that  the  Rose  was  an  old  tub 
of  a  ship  which  it  wouldn't  pay  to  bring  into  port  under 
the  circumstances ;  therefore  he  threw  her  guns  over- 
board, and  filled  her  with  the  prisoners,  on  condition 
that  they  head  direct  for  St.  Helena. 

When  that  had  been  done  he  steered  for  Tumbez, 
for  it  appears  that  he  and  Captain  Porter  had  agreed 
to  go  there  when  it  was  necessary  to  make  a  port. 

Now  our  fleet  consisted  of  nine  sail,  and  it  began 
to  look  as  if  we  might  take  possession  of  every  port 
in  the  Pacific  Ocean,  if  we  were  so  minded.  The 
beauty  of  it  was  that  all  our  ships  and  ammunition 


A  CALL  FOR   VOLUNTEERS.  1 33 

had  come  from  the  Britishers,  which  was  surely  an 
economical  way  of  carrying  on  a  war. 

Even  Phil  and  I  were  puffed  up  with  pride  because 
of  what  had  been  accomplished,  and  we  crowed  as 
loud  as  any  man  on  the  gun-deck  when  we  went  over 
and  over  again  the  "luck  of  the  Essex.'' 

We  soon  learned  that  the  fleet  was  not  yet  to  the 
captain's  hking,  and  on  the  morning  after  the  arrival  of 
Mr.  Downes  our  people  set  about  making  a  change. 

The  Atlantic  J  which,  as  you  will  remember,  we  cap- 
tured just  before  running  for  Tumbez,  was  an  hundred 
tons  larger  than  the  Georgiana,  and  had  shown  her- 
self to  be  a  better  sailer,  as  well  as  possessing  supe- 
rior qualifications  for  a  cruiser;  therefore  Mr.  Downes 
and  his  crew  were  transferred  to  her.  Twenty  guns 
were  mounted  in  this  new  sloop  of  war,  and  she  was 
manned  by  sixty  men.  Her  name  was  changed  to 
Essex  Junior^  and  a  right  trim  little  ship  she  was,  I 
can  assure  you. 

The  Greenwich  we  made  over  into  a  store-ship,  and 
all  the  spare  stores  of  the  other  vessels  were  put 
into  her.  She  was  armed  with  twenty  guns,  but  had 
no  more  of  a  crew  than  was  absolutely  necessary  to 
work  her;  therefore  we  could  not  count  that  she 
would  do  much  in  the  way  of  making  prizes. 


134  WITH    PORTER  IN  T^E   ESSEX. 

The  carpenters  were  yet  busily  at  work  on  the 
Essex  Junior  when  we  left  port;  but  we  had  become 
accustomed  to  fitting  at  sea,  therefore  a  little  thing 
like  that  did  not  disturb  the  most  nervous. 

A  brave  show  we  made  as  we  passed  out  of  the 
harbor  with  the  stars  and  stripes  floating  in  the  breeze, 
and  I  would  have  given  half  my  share  of  prize  money 
if  the  people  at  home  could  have  seen  us,  and  known 
how  this  squadron  had  been  gotten  together. 

We  were  yet  at  sea  on  the  Fourth  of  July,  and  then 
was  held  a  Yankee  celebration  which  must  have 
astonished  the  mermaids.  Every  ship  fired  a  salute, 
and,  what  pleased  us  most,  did  it  with  powder  we  had 
taken  from  the  Britishers.  We  had  plum  duff  till  we 
could  eat  no  more,  to  say  nothing  of  roast  pig,  vege- 
tables, and  other  such  cabin  stores  as  tickle  the 
appetite. 

Phil  and  I  had  by  this  time  come  to  believe  we 
were  quite  brave,  and  counted  on  the  moment  when 
in  action  we  should  do  that  which  would  cause  Cap- 
tain Porter  to  praise  us  from  the  quarter-deck  in  the 
presence  of  all  the  ship's  company. 

On  the  9th  of.  July  the  Essex  Junior  was  in  good 
sailing  trim,  and  the  fleet  was  hove  to  in  order  to 
part  company  with  the  new  sloop  of  war.     Our  com- 


A  CALL   FOR   VOLUNTEERS.  135 

mander  had  decided  to  send  the  prizes,  Hector,  Catherine, 
Policy,  and  Montezuma,  as  well  as  the  recaptured  ship 
Barclay,  into  Valparaiso,  and  Commandant  Downes  was 
to  take  charge  of  the  matter. 

We  parted  company  about  noon,  the  frigate,  with  the 
Greenwich  and  Georgiana,  remaining  hove  to  until 
the  Essex  Junior  and  her  convoy  were  hull  down  in 
the  distance,  after  which  we  squared  away  for  a 
cruise  among  the  Gallipagos,  so  the  marines  who  had 
stood  guard  in  the  cabin  reported ;  but  we  knew  that 
between  where  we  then  were  and  the  islands  in  ques- 
tion was  a  good  chance  of  taking  more  prizes,  and, 
because  of  the  ''luck  of  \hz  Essex,''  reckoned  on  add- 
ing to  our  list  of  captures  before  arriving  at  this  new 
cruising  ground. 

We  counted  on  having  our  average  good  fortune ; 
but  never  dreamed,  confident  though  we  were,  of  the 
success  which  was  so  soon  to  be  ours. 

Four  days  after  we  parted  company  with  our  prizes 
and  the  Essex  Junior,  that  is  to  say,  on  the  13th  day 
of  July,  the  lookouts  sighted  three  sail  off  Banks's 
Bay,  all  on  a  wind,  but  a  good  deal  separated. 

Phil  and  I  were  no  longer  excited  by  such  informa- 
tion. Both  of  us  felt  elated ;  but  we  had  thus  far 
captured    everything    which    had    been    sighted,    and 


136  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

when  a  sail  was  reported,  we  of  the  gun-deck  at  once 
reckoned  her  as  a  prize.  Had  we  failed  to  take  two 
or  three  craft  during  our  cruise,  then  we  would  have 
been  in  suspense  until  the  chase  was  ended ;  but  so 
good  had  been  our  fortune  that  the  worst  grumblers 
among  the  crew  began  to  find  fault  because  the  Brit- 
ishers fell  into  our  hands  like  over-ripe  apples. 

Our  little  fleet  was  in  a  bunch,  hardly  more  than  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  separating  each  craft,  when  the  word 
was  given  that  more  ships  had  come  up  to  be  captured ; 
and  on  this  day  we  had  an  opportunity  of  learning 
how  well  the  squadron  could  manoeuvre. 

Captain  Porter  signalle4  that  he  would  give  chase 
to  the  ship  in  the  middle  of  the  line,  which  was  far- 
thest down  to  leeward,  while  the  Greenwich  and  the 
Georgiana  endeavored  to  cut  off  one  of  the  others. 

This  race  was  different  from  others  which  had  fallen 
to  our  lot,  inasmuch  as  we  were  eager  to  know  what 
was  going  on  astern  as  well  as  ahead ;  and  every  man 
jack  of  us  off  duty  gathered  on  the  forecastle-deck, 
confident  that  all  three  of  the  strangers  would  be 
taken,  but  curious  as  to  how  it  might  be  done. 

We  of  the  frigate  overhauled  our  portion  of  the 
chase  rapidly  ;  but  the  stranger  was  so  far  to  leeward 
that  we  were  forced  to  run  a  long  distance  from  our 


A   CALL   FOR   VOLUNTEERS.  137 

consorts,  and  when  the  Essex  was  a  couple  of  leagues 
off,  those  who  were  watching  astern  could  see  that  one 
of  the  strangers  which  we  had  left  for  the  Georgiana 
and  the  Greenwich  to  look  after,  had  tacked,  and  was 
evidently  manoeuvring  to  cut  the  Georgiana  out. 

Now  had  matters  become  interesting  for  a  verity. 
Short-handed  as  our  consorts  were,  there  was  a  good 
chance  that  one  would  be  captured  while  we  were  run- 
ning to  leeward,  and  I  literally  held  my  breath  in  sus- 
pense, expecting  each  moment  to  see  the  tiny  wisp  of 
red  and  white  which  we  knew  to  be  the  stars  and 
stripes,  hauled  down  in  response  to  the  stranger's 
threats. 

If  any  proof  had  been  needed  that  Yankees  were 
not  inclined  to  surrender  without  a  fight,  we  had  it 
then,  when  we  saw  the  Greejtwich  heave  to,  take  a 
portion  of  the  crew  from  the  Georgiana^  and  bear 
boldly  down  on  the  enemy. 

What  a  cheer  went  up  from  our  men  when  this  had 
been  done !  I  was  proud  of  my  countrymen  then,  and 
could  have  hugged  every  old  shellback  on  board  the 
Greenwich  with  a  good  zest,  had  it  been  possible-  to 
get  at  them. 

"  I'll  answer  for  it  that  our  comrades  hold  those  two 
Britishers  in  check   until  we  can   get  back,"    Master 


138  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX. 

Hackett  said  in  a  tone  of  satisfaction,  and  again  we 
cheered  until  those  on  the  ship  we  were  overhauling 
so  rapidly  must  have  heard  and  wondered  why  we 
were  making  such  a  fuss  about  the  capture  of  a 
whaler. 

Well,  we  bore  down  on  the  chase  hand  over  hand, 
and  when  we  were  so  near  that  a  shot  might  have 
been  pitched  into  any  part  of  her,  the  ship  hove  to 
without  the  slightest  show  of  resistance. 

Captain  Porter  hailed  as  the  British  colors  were 
hauled  down,  and  then  we  learned  that  this  last  prize 
was  the  English  whaler  Charlton^  two  hundred  and 
seventy-four  tons,  with  ten  guns  and  twenty-one  men. 

Her  officers  were  transferred  to  the  Essex^  a  prize 
crew  was  thrown  on  board  in  a  twinkling,  and  the 
frigate  hauled  her  wind  to  take  care  of  the  others. 

Captain  Porter  was  so  eager  for  information  that  he 
questioned  the  captain  of  the  Charlton  on  the  quarter- 
deck, and  many  of  the  gun-deck  inquisitives  heard  the 
whole  story. 

By  this  means  our  commander  learned  that  the  larg- 
est of  the  ships  we  now  counted  on  taking  was  the 
Seringapatam,  three  hundred  and  fifty-seven  tons, 
carrying  fourteen  guns  and  forty  men.  It  was  this 
craft    which    had   been    manoeuvring    to   cut    out   the 


A   CALL   FOR   VOLUNTEERS.  1 39 

Georgiana,  and  unless  we  had  been  near  at  hand    to 
lend  assistance  the  job  might  have  been  done. 

The  other  Britisher  was  the  New  Zealander,  of  two 
hundred  and  fifty-nine  tons,  eight  guns,  and  twenty- 
three  men. 

The  Seringapatam  had  been  built  for  a  cruiser,  so 
our  prisoners  said,  and  was  the  most  dangerous  ship,  so 
far  as  the  American  trade  was  concerned,  of  any  craft 
west  of  Cape  Horn. 

There  was  not  one  of  us  who  did  not  feel  the  most 
intense  desire  to  capture  this  craft,  and  particularly  to 
do  so  before  she  could  work  any  serious  damage  to  our 
consorts. 

We  could  see  that  the  Greenwich  had  already  gone 
into  action  with  the  Britisher,  and  we  cheered  ourselves 
hoarse  by  way  of  encouragement  to  the  brave  fellows 
who  had  tackled  a  craft  heavier  than  themselves,  al- 
though there  was  not  the  slightest  chance  they  would 
hear  our  cries. 

Our  ship,  meaning  the  Greenwich^  was  manoeuvred 
beautifully ;  she  poured  in  three  broadsides  before  the 
enemy  could  get  into  position  to  fire  one,  and  we  were 
yet  more  than  a  league  distant  when  the  Britisher 
showed  that  she  had  had  enough.  As  her  colors  came 
down  we  cheered  and  shouted  like  wild  men,  some  of 


I40  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

the  old  shellbacks  dancing  around  the  deck  like  apes 
who  have  suddenly  gone  mad ;  but  before  many  min- 
utes passed  we  saw  that  we  had  begun  our  rejoicings 
a  trifle  too  early. 

After  giving  token  of  surrender  the  captain  of  the 
Seringapatam  evidently  thought  he  yet  had  an  oppor- 
tunity to  escape,  for  he  slipped  off  to  windward  before 
a  prize  crew  could  be  thrown  on  board. 

We  gazed  in  breathless  suspense  as  the  Greenwich^ 
never  stopping  to  pick  up  the  crew  in  the  two  boats 
which  had  been  lowered  to  take  possession  of  the  prize, 
crept  up  on  the  enemy's  quarter  and  poured  in  such  a 
fire  as  was  most  surprising,  considering  the  number  of 
men  which  were  left  on  board. 

The  Britisher  soon  came  to  understand  that  we 
Yankees  were  too  much  for  him,  even  though  he  out- 
classed us  both  as  to  metal  and  men,  for  he  wore 
around  and  came  down  to  us  as  meekly  as  any  lamb. 

Captain  Porter  lost  no  time  in  throwing  a  prize  crew 
on  board,  after  transshipping  the  officers,  and  away  we 
went  for  the  New  Zealander,  who  was  doing  her  feeble 
best  to  crawl  out  of  the  way;  but  succeeding  very 
badly. 

When  we  passed  within  half  a  mile  of  the  Greenwich 
our  crew  lined  the  yards  and  gave  her  the  heartiest  of 


A   CALL   FOR   VOLUNTEERS.  I4I 

salutes,  while  Captain  Porter  winked  at  the  perform- 
ance when  he  should  have  reprimanded  us  severely  for 
daring  to  do  so  without  permission  or  orders. 

The  New  Zealander  was  taken  without  opposition, 
and  again  we  found  ourselves  with  more  prizes  and 
prisoners  than  could  conveniently  be  managed. 

Before  nightfall  Captain  Porter  learned  that  the  com- 
mander of  the  Seringapatam  had  taken  one  prize  ille- 
gally, he  having  no  letter  of  marque  ;  and  since  this 
was  neither  more  nor  less  than  piracy,  the  venture- 
some Britisher  was  put  in  irons  to  be  sent  home  for 
trial. 

Next  morning  the  Charltons  guns,  ammunition, 
small  arms,  and  spare  sails  were  taken  out;  all  the 
prisoners  were  put  on  board,  and  she  was  allowed  to 
make  sail  for  Rio  de  Janeiro,  every  man  jack  being 
under  parole  to  go  to  that  port  and  none  other. 

Hardly  had  she  filled  away  on  her  course  than  we  set 
to  work  putting  the  Seringapatam  into  shape  for  our 
own  use.  The  guns  of  the  New  Zealander  were 
mounted  in  her,  which  brought  up  the  number  to 
twenty-two,  but  we  could  leave  on  board  no  more  than 
a  sufficient  crew  to  work  her. 

Then  orders  were  given  that  the  oil  which  we  had 
taken,  and  which  was  stored  on  the  Essex,  the  Green- 


142  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE   ESSEX. 

wich^  and  the  Georgiana^  should  be  put  on  board  the 
latter  ship,  and  she  sent  home. 

Loading  a  ship  in  mid  ocean  with  such  heavy  articles 
as  casks  of  oil,  is  a  slow  and  laborious  task,  as  we  soon 
learned.  It  was  necessary  to  sling  each  hogshead  into 
a  boat,  pull  to  the  craft  which  was  being  loaded,  and 
there  hoist  it  inboard,  working  disadvantageous^  all 
the  while  because  of  the  heavy  swell. 

It  was  not  until  the  24th  day  of  July  that  the 
Georgiana  was  ready  for  the  voyage  td  the  United 
States,  and  then  the  captain  of  the  Seringapatam  had 
been  sent  on  board  as  a  prisoner  to  be  closely  guarded ; 
but  no  crew  selected  to  take  charge  of  her. 

On  this  evening  our  men,  greasy  and  stained  with 
their  work  of  handling  oil,  were  called  amidships  while 
Captain  Porter  stood  on  the  break  of  the  quarter. 

All  hands  knew  that  we  were  now  to  learn  who 
would  sail  in  the  Georgiana,  and  each  man  looked  at 
his  neighbor  to  know  how  he  felt  about  going  home 
while  the  most  dangerous  portion  of  the  work  yet  re- 
mained to  be  done,  which  would  be  when  the  British  men- 
of-war  came  around  the  Horn  to  wind  up  our  career. 

The  captain  began  by  reminding  us  that  our  term  of 
service  had  nearly  expired,  and  that  a  certain  number 
must  be  sent  home  to  work  the  Georgiana. 


A  CALL   FOR   VOLUNTEERS.  1 43 

**  I  will  give  you  all  the  same  show,"  he  said;  "and 
if  too  many  volunteer  to  make  up  the  crew,  we  will 
take  those  whose  time  of  enlistment  is  nearest  at  an 
end.  You  are  to  think  it  over  this  evening;  try  to 
settle  the  matter  among  yourselves;  but  if  that  can't 
be  done,  I  will  take  a  hand  at  it  to-morrow  morning." 

With  this  we  were  dismissed,  and  once  all  hands 
were  on  the  gun-deck,  with  the  exception  of  those  who 
remained  above  on  watch,  a  most  tremendous  jawing 
was  begun.  Every  man  tried  to  speak  at  the  same 
time,  and  the  uproar  was  so  great  that  no  single  word 
could  be  distinguished.  I  could  not  make  out  whether 
the  men  were  excited  lest  they  should  not  be  able  to 
go,  or  if  there  was  a  desire  to  remain. 

Phil  and  I  went  into  a  corner  by  ourselves,  where  we 
could  hear  each  other  speak,  and  there  I  asked  him 
what  he  thought  about  volunteering  for  the  Georgiana. 

"I  count  on  staying  here,  if  Captain  Porter  don't 
drive  me  out,"  he  said  emphatically,  thus  showing  that 
his  decision  had  been  made  before  we  came  below. 
"  You  know,  Ezra,  that  I  don't  amount  to  much  when 
it  comes  to  a  show  of  bravery;  but  I'm  not  such  a 
coward  as  to  turn  now,  when  the  greatest  danger  is  yet 
to  be  met." 

I  flung  my  arms  around  the  dear  fellow  and  kissed 


144  WITH    PORTER  IN  THE   ESSEX. 

him  on  both  cheeks.  He  had  spoken  that  which  was 
in  my  own  heart,  although  I  could  not  have  put  it  in 
such  proper  words ;  and  then  it  was  decided  between  us 
that  we  would  remain  by  the  Essex  so  long  as  should 
be  permitted  us. 

By  the  time  we  two  had  settled  the  question,  Master 
Hackett  had  succeeded  in  quieting  the  wranglers  suf- 
ficiently to  make  himself  heard,  and  the  old  man  proved 
to  be  quite  a  dandy  at  handling  a  meeting. 

"  Hold  your  jaw,  you  lubbers ! "  he  shouted  with 
such  a  volume  of  sound  that  he  must  have  been  heard 
distinctly  by  those  on  the  quarter-deck.  "  The  captain 
wants  to  know  how  many  of  us  is  achin'  to  get  home 
before  the  Britishers  send  half  a  dozen  frigates  down 
here  to  blow  us  out  of  the  water,  an'  he'll  never  get 
the  information  unless  you  settle  down  into  peaceable 
sailormen.  There's  no  use  waggin'  your  chins  over 
this  thing ;  every  man  has  a  right  to  do  what  pleases 
him  best,  an'  now  he's  got  a  fair  chance.  What  I  say 
is  this :  Let  them  as  want  to  go  aboard  the  Georgiana 
toddle  to  the  port  side,  and  them  who  count  on  holdin' 
by  the  old  hooker,  step  over  to  starboard." 

The  men  looked  around  curiously  for  an  instant,  and 
then  every  one  of  them  moved  to  starboard,  Phil  and  I 
among  the  rest. 


A  CALL   FOR   VOLUNTEERS.  1 45 

There  was  a  broad  grin  on  Master  Hackett's  face 
when  he  cried  with  a  semblance  of  anger:  — 

"This  'ere  won't  do  at  all.  Some  of  us  are  bound 
to  go,  seein's  how  we  can't  let  that  cargo  of  oil  run  to 
waste.  Of  course  /'//  hold  to  the  frigate ;  but  them 
as  have  got  wives  an'  children  ashore  ought  'er  get  over 
to  port,  an'  we'll  feel  no  shame  for  'em,  knowin'  as  we 
do  that  a  crew  must  be  made  up  for  the  Georgianar 

"  It's  none  of  your  business  how  many  wives  or  chil- 
dren we've  got,  Hiram  Hackett !  "  one  of  the  throng 
shouted.  '*  It's  as  much  our  right  as  yours  to  stick 
to  the  frigate,  an'  we  count  on  doin'  it.  Why  not  send 
the  boys  t  They  can  do  the  work  of  sailormen  aboard 
the  Georgiana!    Then  you'll  have  two  towards  a  crew." 

"Come  here,  you  skulkers  !  "  Master  Hackett  roared, 
looking  at  Phil  and  me,  and  there  was  nothing  for  it 
but  to  step  out  from  among  the  crew. 

"  Act  as  spokesman,  Phil,"  I  whispered.  "  You  can 
go  ahead  of  me  when  it  comes  to  jawing  ;  but  remember 
that  they  can't  drive  us  off  unless  the  captain  gives  the 
word,  and  I'm  thinking  that  my  cousin  Stephen  will 
stand  up  for  our  rights." 

"Are  you  two  infants  ready  to  obey  orders  an'  go 
aboard  the  Georgiana  ?  "  Master  Hackett  asked,  looking 
as  fierce  as  if  he  counted  on  eating  us. 


146  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX. 

**  No,  sir ! "  Phil  shouted  at  the  full  strength  of  his 
lungs.  "  We've  got  as  much  right  to  stay  as  you  have, 
an'  we  won't  volunteer  !  " 

''Three  cheers  for  the  infants!  "  some  one  shouted, 
and  the  men  yelled  until  their  throats  were  like  to  split. 

Then  the  crew  crowded  around  Master  Hackett,  each 
man  trying  to  make  himself  heard,  and  I  understood 
that  there  was  little  chance  of  finding  a  crew  for  the 
Georgiana  if  every  one  was  to  do  as  he  pleased. 

By  this  time  the  noise  was  so  great  that  Lieutenant 
McKnight  was  sent  below  to  learn  whether  or  no  a  riot 
was  in  progress,  and,  luckily,  I  succeeded  in  gaining 
speech  with  him  before  the  men  knew  he  was  on  the 
gun-deck. 

"  Surely  you  will  stand  our  friend  in  this  matter. 
Cousin  Stephen,"  I  said,  clutching  him  by  the  coat- 
sleeve  without  regard  to  the  proprieties  ;  for  it  is  looked 
upon  as  insubordination  for  a  common  sailor  to  lay  hold 
of  an  officer. 

"  In  what  way,  Ezra }  Are  so  many  eager  to  see 
home  again  that  you  fear  there'll  be  no  room  for  you  1 " 

"  It's  just  the  other  way,  sir,"  Phil  broke  in.  "  Not  a 
man  will  volunteer,  and  some  of  them  have  said  that  we 
two  lads  must  go  whether  we  like  it  or  not." 

**  It  isn't  right  to  force  us  because  we  are  lads  ! "  I 


A  CALL  FOR  VOLUNTEERS.  1 47 

cried.  "  We've  done  our  duty  so  far  as  we  knew,  and 
our  age  shouldn't  give  license  for  injustice !  " 

"  See  here,  my  lads,  you're  not  looking  at  this  matter 
in  the  proper  light.  We  shall  soon  be  turning  and 
twisting  to  get  out  of  a  British  frigate's  way,  and  many 
of  us  will  lose  the  number  of  his  mess  before  the  Essex 
doubles  Cape  Horn  again.  You  can  go  now  without 
being  called  a  coward,  and  it's  far  better  to  get  out  of 
the  scrape  while  affairs  are  flourishing  as  they  are 
at  present." 

'*  Are  you  going  in  the  GeorgianUy  Cousin  Stephen?" 
I  asked. 

"What.^  Me.-*  Never,  unless  the  captain  gives  a 
positive  order  to  that  effect." 

"  If  you  are  allowed  to  remain,  why  should  we  be 
forced  to  go  .-* " 

He  turned  from  me  quickly,  and,  without  making  any 
attempt  to  restore  order,  went  on  deck. 

The  men  jawed  and  argued  more  violently  than  ever 
after  my  cousin  disappeared,  and  very  soon  the  master- 
at-arms  came  below  with  an  order  for  every  man  jack 
of  us  to  show  himself  abaft  the  mainmast. 

We  found  the  captain  waiting  for  us  as  before ;  and 
although  there  was  very  good  reason  why  he  should 
read  the  riot  act  because  of  the  uproar,  I  understood  by 


148  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX. 

the  expression  on  his  face  that  he  was  well  pleased  the 
men  had  not  shown  a  willingness  to  leave  the  frigate. 

When  all  hands  had  quieted  down  once  more  he  made 
a  little  speech  in  which  he  thanked  us  for  being  so 
eager  to  stay  by  the  Essex,  and  declared  that  he  felt 
proud  of  every  old  barnacle  there ;  but  at  the  same  time 
it  was  absolutely  necessary  a  crew  be  sent  on  board  the 
Georgiana. 

"Those  men  who  have  families  must  go,"  he  said 
finally,  after  declaring  that  it  had  become  necessary  for 
him  to  settle  the  matter,  since  the  crew  themselves  could 
not.  "  A  list  shall  be  made  out  of  such  as  have  others 
depending  upon  them,  and  it  will  then  be  posted  on  the 
gun-deck.  Abide  by  my  decision  as  you  ever  have,  and 
I  will  make  it  my  solemn  duty  to  let  the  people  of  the 
United  States  know  that  those  who  returned  in  the 
Georgiana.  did  not  do  so  of  their  own  free  will." 

We  were  sent  below  once  more,  and  Phil  and  I  felt 
well  content,  for  by  the  captain's  ruling  we  could  not 
be  sent  home  in  the  oil-laden  craft. 


CHAPTER    VII. 

AN  ISLAND   PORT. 

THE  Georgiana  left  us  next  morning,  carrying  a  sor- 
rowful-looking crew,  as  can  well  be  imagined,  for 
every  man  jack  of  them  felt  as  if  he  might  be  accused 
of  cowardice  in  leaving  the  Essex  at  a  time  when  there 
was  good  reason  to  expect  she  would  meet  with  a  supe- 
rior force. 

I  fail  to  understand  yet  why  it  had  come  into  the 
minds  of  all  that  we  would  never  double  Cape  Horn  in 
the  old  frigate.  No  one  put  such  a  belief  into  words, 
and  yet  I  knew  full  well  it  was  looked  upon  as  a  fact, 
because  of  certain  remarks  let  drop  now  and  then  w^hen 
was  being  discussed  the  question  of  seeing  the  friends 
at  home. 

It  had  really  come  to  be  the  belief  of  us  all,  although 
carefully  kept  in  the  background,  that  the  time  must 
come  when  we  would  meet  with  such  a  force  of  Brit- 
ishers as  could  put  an  end  to  the  "luck  of  the  Essex.'' 

And  it  is  little  wonder  that  our  crew,  even  counting 
the  boys,  should  have  considered  it  as  inevitable  that 

149 


I50  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

the  dear  old  frigate  would  come  to  an  end  of  her  cruis- 
ing before  many  months  had  passed,  for  we  knew  full 
well  the  English  people  must  soon  demand  that  we  who 
had  done  so  much  mischief  be  put  out  of  the  way  of 
working  yet  further  damage.  • 

Consider  well  what  had  been  done,  and  then  it  may 
be  seen  that  the  British  navy  would  speedily  come  after 
us  with  a  heavy  force.  Here  is  the  situation  as  it  was 
defined  by  a  member  of  the  United  States  Navy,  he 
looking  at  the  matter  a  few  weeks  after  the  Georgiana 
had  sailed,  and  we  were  in  an  island  port  refitting  and 
overhauling  the  fleet :  — 

"  The  situation  of  the  Essex  was  sufficiently  remarka- 
ble, at  this  moment,  to  merit  a  brief  notice.  She  had 
been  the  first  American  to  carry  the  pennant  of  a  man- 
of-war  round  the  Cape  of  Good. Hope,  and  now  she  had 
been  the  first  to  bring  it  into  the  distant  ocean.  More 
than  ten  thousand  miles  from  home,  without  colonies, 
stations,  or  even  a  friendly  port  to  repair  to,  short  of 
stores,  without  a  consort,  and  otherwise  in  possession 
of  none  of  the  required  means  of  subsistence  and  effi- 
ciency, she  had  boldly  steered  into  this  distant  region, 
where  she  had  found  all  that  she  required,  through  her 
own  activity ;  and  having  swept  the  seas  of  her  ene- 
mies,   she   had   now  retired   to   these   little-frequented 


AN   ISLAND   PORT.  151 

islands  to  refit,  with  the  security  of  a  ship  at  home.  It 
is  due  to  the  officer  who  so  promptly  adopted  and  so 
successfully  executed  this  plan,  to  add,  that  his  enter- 
prise, self-reliance,  and  skill  indicated  a  man  of  bold 
and  masculine  courage ;  qualities  that  are  indispensable 
in  forming  a  naval  captain. 

"  In  the  way  of  service  to  the  public,  perhaps  the 
greatest  performed  by  the  Essex  was  protecting  Ameri- 
can ships  in  the  Pacific,  nearly  all  of  which  would  prob- 
ably have  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy  but  for 
her  appearance  in  that  ocean.  But  the  positive  injury 
done  the  English  commerce  was  far  from  trifling.  The 
Essex  had  now  captured  about  four  thousand  tons  of  its 
shipping,  made  near  four  hundred  prisoners,  and  for 
the  moment  had  literally  destroyed  its  fisheries  in  this 
part  of  the  world.  In  October,  181 2,  she  had  sailed 
from  America  alone,  with  six  months'  provisions  and 
the  usual  stores  in  her ;  and  in  October,  18 13,  she  was 
lying,  in  perfect  security,  at  an  island  in  the  Pacific, 
with  a  respectable  consort,  surrounded  by  prizes,  and  in 
possession  of  all  the  means  that  were  necessary  to  render 
a  frigate  of  her  class  efficient.  Throughout  the  whole  of 
these  movements  we  see  a  constant  tendency  to  distress 
the  enemy,  and  to  maintain  the  character  of  the  ship  as 
an  active,  well-organized,  and  high-toned  man-of-war." 


152  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX.      " 

All  this  was  written  concerning  us  after  we  had  made 
that  island  port  which  I  shall  describe  later;  but  before 
entering  it  we  were  to  see  some  service,  and  experience 
our  first  disappointment  in  the  way  of  capturing  every 
sail  we  sighted. 

It  was  on  the  25th  day  of  July  when  the  Georgiana 
left  us,  only  to  be  recaptured,  as  we  afterward  learned 
to  our  sorrow,  before  gaining  an  American  port. 

We  remained  hove  to  until  the  oil-laden  prize  was 
hull  down  on  the  horizon,  and  then,  with  the  Essex 
leading,  our  little  squadron,  consisting  of  the  frigate,  the 
Greenwich,  Seringapatam,  and  New  Zealander,  trailing 
along  in  fine  style,  cruised  here  and  there  in  search  of 
another  Britisher. 

On  the  morning  of  the  third  day  thereafter,  while 
we  lay  becalmed,  a  strange  sail  was  sighted  carrying 
with  her  a  fine  breeze. 

As  a  matter  of  course  she  soon  ran  out  of  our  range 
of  vision,  but  Captain  Porter  was  not  the  kind  of  a 
commander  to  give  up  the  hope  of  catching  an  enemy, 
once  having  clapped  his  eyes  on  her;  and  at  sunset, 
when  the  wind  sprang  up  again,  signals  were  set  for 
every  ship  to  crowd  on  sail  in  pursuit  of  the  Britisher, 
although  by  this  time  she  had  many  leagues  the  start. 

The  'Muck  of  the  Essex''  was  with  us  yet,  for  next 


AN   ISLAND   PORT.  1 53 

morning  at  sunrise  the  lookouts  at  the  masthead 
sighted  the  stranger  standing  across  our  bow  on  a 
bowline. 

By  this  time  the  breeze  fined  down  again,  and  the 
dullest  among  us  knew  that  unless  we  could  get  the 
frigate  through  the  water  at  a  better  pace,  our  hope 
of  taking  another  prize  that  day  was  at  an  end. 

Captain  Porter  had  a  scheme  of  his  own,  however, 
and  at  once  set  about  executing  it,  to  the  surprise  and 
admiration  of  all  our  old  shellbacks,  even  though  it 
cost  .us  considerable  labor. 

A  three-cornered  frame  was  knocked  together  by  the 
carpenters,  covered  with  canvas,  and  weighted  by  four- 
pound  shot  on  one  side.  This  was  rigged  to  run  from 
the  spritsail-yard  to  an  outrigger  aft.  It  was  dropped 
into  the  water  forward,  and  then  half  the  crew,  trailing 
on  to  a  small  hawser  made  fast  to  the  triangle  as  boys 
tie  the  string  of  a  kite,  hauled  it  quickly  astern. 

This,  acting  as  a  paddle,  sent  us  ahead  in  fine  style, 
and  as  soon  as  the  contrivance  was  well  aft,  it  would 
be  hoisted  out  of  the  water,  run  forward,  and  dropped 
again. 

The  labor  required  to  work  such  a  machine  was  very 
great ;  but  we  made  light  of  it  on  seeing  that  we  were 
forging  ahead  faster  than  the  stranger  could  sail,  and, 


154  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

with  the  perspiration  running  in  great  streams  down 
our  bodies,  we  pulled  and  hauled  with  a  will  until, 
having  come  within  about  four  miles  of  the  ship,  we 
counted  on  making  a  prize. 

By  this  time  it  could  be  seen  that  she  was  a  British 
whaler,  and  an  uncommonly  fine  craft.  What  was 
more,  we  began  to  understand  that  she,  unlike  many 
we  had  already  overhauled,  did  not  intend  that  we 
should  capture  her  without  paying  the  piper  for  our 
dancing. 

Her  boats  were  got  out  to  tow,  and  we  could  not 
work  the  canvas-paddle  fast  enough  to  hold  our  own 
in  the  way  of  speed. 

The  remainder  of  our  fleet  were  hull  down  astern, 
therefore  it  was  useless  to  expect  assistance  from 
them,  —  a  fact  which  caused  Master  Hackett  to  say 
despairingly :  — 

"  I  allow,  lads,  that  we've  come  to  an  end  of  the 
*  luck '  for  the  time  bein'.  That  'ere  craft  will  muster 
more  men  accordin'  to  her  size  than  we  can." 

"  Gettin'  afraid,  eh  .^^ "  some  one  shouted  scornfully ; 
whereat  Master  Hackett  replied  with  considerable  show 
of  spirit:  — 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it,  you  lubber ;  but  men  count  in  the 
kind  of  a  breeze  we're  tryin'  to  work  up,  an'  towin' 


AN   ISLAND   PORT.  1 55 

that  ship  with  boats  is  child's  play  compared  with 
what  it  would  be  to  drag  the  Essex  through  the 
water." 

I  believed  our  men  would  begin  squabbling  among 
themselves,  because  of  their  disappointment  in  being 
thus  prevented  from  taking  a  prize ;  but  one  of  the 
lieutenants  quickly  put  an  end  to  the  words  by  bawling 
out  an  order  which  showed  us  that  the  Britisher  might 
not  find  towing  a  very  profitable  job. 

The  word  was  passed  to  lower  the  gig  and  one  of 
the  whale-boats,  and  our  men  cheered  lustily  while  this 
was  being  done,  for  they  had  a  fairly  good  idea  of 
what  the  captain  was  counting  on  doing. 

Lieutenant  McKnight,  my  cousin  Stephen,  was  an- 
nounced as  commander  of  the  small  expedition,  and 
he  began  calling  off  the  names  of  those  whom  he 
counted  on  taking  with  him,  after  word  had  been 
passed  that  each  man,  as  he  was  thus  chosen,  should 
arm  himself  with  a  musket  and  plenty  of  powder  and 
bullets. 

Master  Hackett  was  the  first  selected,  and  then  fol- 
lowed name  after  name  so  rapidly  that  I  soon  under- 
stood Phil  and  I  would  be  left  out  of  the  business 
unless  something  was  done  quickly. 

Without  waiting   to  consult   my  comrade,  I    walked 


156  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE  ESSEX. 

across  the  deck,  coughing  loudly,  and  passing  within  a 
few  feet  of  where  the  lieutenant  was  standing. 

He  looked  up,  smiled  oddly,  and  then,  after  a  show 
of  hesitation  called :  — 

"  Ezra  McKnight !     Philip  Robbins !  " 

"You're  a  beauty  !  "  Phil  whispered,  as  he  ran  past 
me  on  his  way  below  to  get  the  musket  and  ammuni- 
tion, and  my  only  regret  at  that  moment  was  because  I 
could  not  thank  my  cousin  for  the  favor  he  had  done  us. 

We  two  lads  tumbled  into  the  gig  alongside  Master 
Hackett,  who  asked  gruffly  :  — 

"  What  is  the  lieutenant  thinkin'  of  to  send  a  couple 
of  infants  out  on  a  job  like  this  ?  " 

"  Perhaps  it  would  be  a  good  idea  for  you  to  ask  him ; 
I  don't  care  to  take  the  chances  of  so  doing,  even  though 
your  curiosity  is  not  satisfied,"  I  said  pertly.  "  If  shoot- 
ing is  to  be  done,  which  seems  reasonable  after  we've 
been  ordered  to  arm  ourselves,  I  reckon  the  '  infants ' 
can  do  as  much  as  some  others  who  are  older." 

Master  Hackett  did  not  reply ;  but  by  the  movements 
of  his  mouth  I  knew  he  was  not  so  displeased  but  that 
he  was  trying  to  hide  a  smile. 

Just  then  Stephen  McKnight  stepped  aboard  the  gig, 
and  as  he  did  so  Captain  Porter  cried  over  the  rail :  — 

*'  Remember,  McKnight,  that   you  are  not  to  make 


AN  ISLAND   PORT.  1 57 

any  effort  at  boarding,  however  tempting  may  be  the 
opportunity.  Get  ahead  of  the  chase  and  drive  in  her 
boats,  after  which  you  will  return  as  soon  as  possible." 

"  I  understand,  sir,"  Stephen  replied,  and  then  came 
the  order  to  "  give  way  with  a  will." 

Phil  and  I  were  not  counted  among  the  oarsmen,  as  I 
saw  when  the  work  was  begun ;  but  we  did  a  trifle 
toward  helping  the  good  work  along  by  pushing  on 
Master  Hackett's  oar,  and  he  made  no  effort  to  prevent 
us,  even  though  we  were  ''infants." 

It  would  not  have  been  good  seamanship  to  go  any 
nearer  the  enemy  than  was  necessary,  in  the  effort  to 
get  ahead  of  her,  therefore  we  made  a  wide  sweep 
around  to  port ;  and  when  we  were  opposite,  not  more 
than  three  hundred  yards  distant,  her  gunners  let  fly  a 
couple  of  pieces  which  had  been  loaded  with  grape. 

The  whistling  of  the  shot,  which  struck  everywhere 
around  us,  sent  the  cold  shivers  up  and  down  my  back ; 
but  I  pushed  on  Master  Hackett's  oar  all  the  harder, 
keeping  my  eyes  fixed  straight  ahead  lest  the  old  man 
should  read  in  them  more  than  I  cared  to  have  him 
know. 

Phil  started  ever  so  slightly ;  but  managed  to  hold 
himself  firm  after  that,  and  each  of  us  knew  that  the 
other  was  sorely  afraid,  although  it  is  certain  neither 


158  WITH    PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

would  have  gone  back  had  the  opportunity  presented 
itself. 

We  were  treated  to  more  grape,  the  biggest  portion 
of  which  passed  over  our  heads,  and  after  that  second 
volley  I  somehow  forgot  that  I  was  frightened ;  but 
loaded  my  musket  carefully,  hoping  the  time  would 
soon  come  when  I  could  do  a  little  to  help  balance  the 
account. 

Soon  we  were  out  of  range  of  the  grape,  and  then  we 
ran  across  the  ship's  bow,  every  man  loading  and  dis- 
charging his  musket  at  the  crew  of  the  towing-boats  as 
rapidly  as  possible. 

"  They  can't  stand  that  kind  of  a  game  very  long,'* 
Master  Hackett  said,  as  he  wounded  one  of  the  British- 
ers in  the  foremost  boat.  "  They've  come  out  to  pull 
an  oar  an'  ain't  in  shape  for  a  fight,  so  it  don't  stand  to 
reason  they'll  hold  their  ground  a  great  while." 

The  British  oarsmen  were  already  beginning  to 
slacken  their  pace,  and  I  looked  astern  to  make  out 
what  our  people  counted  on  doing  while  we  lay  there 
preventing  the  work  of  towing. 

The  sight  was  one  to  warm  the  blood  even  of  a 
coward.  All  our  boats  were  out  and  being  manned 
rapidly,  and  I  had  no  need  to  ask  what  would  be  the 
next  move. 


SOON  WE  WERE  OUT  OF  REACH  OF  THE  GRAPE,  AND  THEN  WE  RAN 
ACROSS  THE  SHIP'S  BOW. 


AN   ISLAND   PORT.  1 59 

"  Ay,  lad,  the  captain  is  goin'  to  board  her,"  Master 
Hackett  said  quietly,  when  I  called  his  attention  to 
the  frigate.  "  I  counted  the  old  man  would  be  at  that 
fun  mighty  soon  after  we'd  got  into  position,  an'  the 
worst  of  it  is  that  we  don't  have  a  hand  in  the  scrim- 
mage." 

We  soon  learned  to  our  sorrow  that  we  had  a  scrim- 
mage of  our  own  which  would  occupy  us  in  good  shape 
so  long  as  the  towing-boats  were  kept  out. 

The  Britishers  had  brought  two  guns  on  the  fore- 
castle-deck, and  began  giving  us  our  medicine  just 
as  the  Essex's  crew  were  pulling  away  from  her  side. 

The  first  discharge  did  us  no  damage;  but  it  was 
not  difficult  to  guess  that  after  the  gunners  once  got 
our  range  we  would  suffer  severely,  and  again  I  had 
hard  work  to  prevent  showing  the  white  feather. 

The  grape  came  nearer  and  nearer,  the  gunners 
working  the  pieces  faster  than  I  had  ever  thought 
could  be  possible,  and  we  kept  peppering  away  at 
the  men  in  the  boats,  firing  so  lively  that  soon  they 
were  driven  in ;  but  it  had  cost  two  of  our  fellows 
slight  wounds. 

The  grapeshot  would  settle  our  business  very 
speedily,  I  believed,  unless  our  boarding  party  came 
along  soon,  and  I  looked  anxiously  astern. 


l60  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

The  oars  flashed  in  the  water  at  the  rate  of  forty- 
strokes  a  minute,  and  our  men  were  cheering  lustily 
as  they  thought  of  adding  another  to  the  long  Hst  of 
prizes  credited  to  the  Essex. 

Now  the  grape  was  coming  with  truer  aim ;  two  of 
our  oars  had  been  sheered  off  close  to  the  rail,  as 
neatly  as  if  done  by  an  axe,  and  it  seemed  certain 
some  one  of  us  would  soon  lose  the  number  of  his 
mess ;  yet,  strange  to  say,  I  was  not  so  terribly  fright- 
ened as  the  situation  warranted. 

"The  boarders  will  soon  be  goin'  over  the  Brit- 
isher's rail,  an'  then  comes  the  time  for  us  to  pull 
a  little  nearer,"  Master  Hackett  whispered  to  me,  as 
if  thinking  I  needed  cheering.  "Take  aim  at  the 
gunners,  an'  it'll  make  you  a  heap  easier  in  mind  if 
you  can  knock  one  over." 

I  discharged  my  musket  with  careful  aim,  and  then 
looked  over  my  shoulder  while  reloading  to  ascertain 
whether  the  rest  of  our  people  were  coming  up. 

The  boats  from  the  Essex  were  making  rapid  way 
over  the  water,  the  spray  from  their  bows  glittering 
in  the  sunlight  like  diamonds,  and  the  enemy  now 
turned  his  attention  from  us  ahead  to  those  who  were 
so  rapidly  overhauling  him  from  astern. 

A  full  broadside  was  fired  at  the  boarders,  but  the 


AN  ISLAND   PORT.  l6l 

heavy  shot  passed  over  their  heads  without  doing  any 
damage,  and  we  in  advance  added  our  shouts  of  joy 
to  those  of  the  boarding  party. 

The  Britishers  must  have  turned  cowardly  as  they 
saw  our  men  coming  toward  them  without  heed  to 
their  fire,  and  in  another  instant  we  were  yelling  at 
the  full  strength  of  our  lungs,  as  the  English  flag 
was  hauled  down  in  token  of  surrender. 

"The  'luck  of  the  Essex'  still  holds  good,"  Master 
Hackett  cried  gleefully.  "  Yonder  ship  will  show  well 
among  our  fleet,  an'  it's  a  pity  we  can't  give  her  a  crew 
of  decent  size." 

The  boats  which  we  had  been  trying  to  drive  in 
were  now  called  alongside,  and,  our  people  were  com- 
ing hand  over  hand  to  take  possession,  when  a  breeze 
from  the  eastward  sprang  up  like  a  squall,  filling  the 
sails  of  the  prize  in  an  instant. 

Before  I  was  well  aware  of  what  had  happened 
the  Britisher  was  hauled  up  close  on  the  wind.  Her 
colors  were  hoisted  again,  and  off  she  went  to  the 
northward  like  a  flash,  leaving  the  boarding  party 
astern  as  if  their  craft  had  been  anchored. 

Just  for  an  instant  I  believed  the  enemy  would 
succeed  in  running  down  those  of  us  who  were  in 
the  gig  and  whale-boat.     She  came  up  until  we  were 


1 62  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE   ESSEX. 

close  under  her  forefoot;  but  the  helmsman  could  not 
bring  her  nearer,  and  we  swept  astern  like  a  flash. 

It  was  well  for  us  that  she  came  so  close,  other- 
wise we  might  have  been  knocked  to  flinders,  for  no 
less  than  six  charges  of  grape  were  fired  point-blank 
at  our  boats ;  but  the  missiles  passed  over  our  heads, 
and,  instead  of  congratulating  themselves  upon  the 
escape  from  instant  death,  the  men  grumbled  long 
and  loud  because  we  had  lost  the  first  ship  which  by 
rights  should  have  been  made  a  prize. 

**  If  that  'ere  squall  had  held  off  five  minutes  longer, 
we'd  have  been  in  possession,"  Master  Hackett  said 
in  a  tone  so  sorrowful  that  one  could  well  believe  the 
tears  were  very  near  his  eyelids. 

To  Phil  and  me  it  was  most  singular,  this  seeing 
one  ship  filling  away  with  all  the  wind  she  needed, 
and  another,  our  frigate,  lying  no  more  than  four 
miles  distant  with  not  breeze  enough  to  lift  the  vane 
at  her  masthead. 

The  only  thing  which  prevented  our  men  from  hav- 
ing a  desperate  fit  of  the  sulks  was  the  belief  that 
when  the  Essex  did  get  the  wind  she  would  make 
chase ;  but  as  the  hours  wore  on  we  understood  that 
the  Britisher  was  really  lost  to  us,  for  this  time  at 
least. 


AN  ISLAND   PORT.  1 63 

It  was  near  to  nine  o'clock  in  the  evening  before 
the  last  of  our  boats  was  hoisted  inboard,  and,  owing 
to  the  darkness  which  hid  the  enemy  from  view,  it 
was  useless  to  think  of  making  sail. 

We  laid  hove  to  until  our  consorts  came  up,  and 
then  the  fleet  was  kept  jogging  to  and  fro  in  the  hope 
that  when  morning  came  the  "luck  of  the  Essex'' 
would  show  us  the  Britisher. 

We  were  doomed  to  disappointment,  however,  so 
far  as  this  particular  craft  was  concerned,  for  when 
day  broke  not  a  sail  was  to  be  seen. 

Captain  Porter  did  all  a  commander  should  do  under 
the  circumstances.  During  three  days  we  cruised  to 
the  northward  and  eastward,  and  at  the  end  of  that 
time  there  was  no  longer  any  question,  even  in  the 
minds  of  the  most  sanguine,  but  that  the  Britisher 
had  given  us  the  sHp. 

Once  this  unpleasant  fact  was  impressed  upon  him 
beyond  the  shadow  of  a  doubt.  Captain  Porter  hauled 
away  for  James's  Island,  where  we  had  good  reason 
to  believe  more  British  whalers  might  be  found. 

Not  a  sail  was  to  be  seen  in  the  little  bay  when  we 
entered  on  the  4th  day  of  August;  but,  believing  the 
men  would  be  the  better  for  a  short  cruise  ashore, 
our  commander  gave  the  word  to  anchor. 


l64  WITH    PORTER  IN  THE   ESSEX.' 

Next  morning,  before  a  single  man  had  time  to  ask 
for  liberty,  it  was  reported  by  one  of  the  gunners  that 
a  goodly  portion  of  the  powder  which  we  had  brought 
with  us  from  the  United  States,  had  been  damaged 
by  water  while  we  were  doubling  the  Horn.  But  for 
the  fact  that  this  particular  man  was  nosing  around 
where  he  really  had  no  business  to  be,  the  Essex  might 
have  gone  into  action  only  to  discover,  when  it  was 
too  late,  that  she  had  nothing  with  which  to  fight. 

''What  will  we  do.?"  I  asked  of  Master  Hackett 
when  our  misfortune  was  known  on  the  gun-deck. 
"  We're  not  likely  to  come  across  ammunition  in  these 
waters,  unless  by  taking  more  prizes ;  and  it  begins  to 
appear  as  if  we'd  driven  all  the  Britishers  away." 

"  It  ain't  as  bad  as  it  might  be,  lad,  although  I 
allow  it's  rough  enough.  Accordin'  to  all  accounts  the 
Seringapatam  has  enough  aboard,  although  when  the 
Essex  takes  what  she  needs,  it'll  leave  Lieutenant 
Downes  well-nigh  helpless." 

It  was  a  disaster  so  great,  that  not  a  man  so  much 
as  thought  of  asking  for  shore  leave,  and  on  the  gun- 
deck  we  gathered  to  discuss  the  sudden  change  of  af- 
fairs until  word  was  brought  that  one  watch  might  land 
to  enjoy  themselves,  at  the  same  time  that  they  took 
in  a  supply  of  wood  and  water. 


AN  ISLAND   PORT.  1 65 

After  a  short  run  on  the  island  the  men  succeeded 
in  putting  from  their  minds  all  thoughts  of  the  dis- 
covery made  by  the  meddlesome  gunner,  believing  that 
Captain  Porter  would  succeed,  no  one  knew  how,  in 
supplying  the  lack  of  powder. 

During  more  than  two  weeks  we  lay  at  James's 
Island,  bringing  in  supplies  of  pork,  water,  and  wood, 
and  during  all  that  time  not  a  single  sail  hove  in 
sight. 

Then  came  the  word,  on  the  evening  of  August  21, 
that  the  fleet  would  proceed  to  Banks's  Bay,  and  next 
morning  we  were  under  way,  making  the  run  in  thirty- 
six  hours. 

No  sooner  had  the  ship  been  brought  to  anchor 
than  we  understood  how  Captain  Porter  proposed  to 
supply  us  with  ammunition.  It  was  reported,  by  one 
of  the  marines,  as  a  matter  of  course,  that  the  Essex 
would  on  the  next  morning  make  a  short  cruise  by 
herself,  leaving  the  prizes  in  the  bay. 

Our  old  shellbacks  were  perfectly  satisfied  on  hear- 
ing this  news.  The  only  way  in  which  more  powder 
could  be  procured,  was  by  taking  it  from  the  British- 
ers, and  we  had  no  doubt  but  that  we  should  soon 
pick  up  an  armed  whaler  who  would  be  forced  to 
supply  us. 


1 66  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE  ESSEX. 

Well,  to  make  a  long  story  short,  we  cruised  from 
the  24th  of  August  until  the  15th  of  September  with- 
out seeing  anything  in  the  form  of  a  sailing  craft, 
and  all  hands  were  growing  discouraged  when,  in 
the  early  morning,  a  ship  was  reported  apparently 
lying  to  a  long  distance  to  the  southward,  and  to 
windward. 

There  was  no  hope  of  coming  up  with  her  if  we 
began  the  business  boldly,  for  she  had  a  big  advan- 
tage of  us  in  position;  therefore  our  commander  set 
about  playing  a  trick  which  might  bring  the  stranger 
into  our  hands  with  but  little  labor. 

Our  light  yards  were  sent^  down,  and  the  frigate 
otherwise  disguised  until  she  had  much  the  look  of 
a  whaler.  Then  she  was  slowly  kept  turning  to 
windward,  each  moment  drawing  nearer  the  Britisher, 
for  by  this  time  we  had  settled  in  our  minds  that 
the  stranger  was  one  of  the  enemy's  ships. 

This  trick  worked  to  a  charm,  and  by  noon  we  were 
so  near  that  it  was  possible  to  see  that  our  intended 
prize  was  fast  to  a  whale,  which  she  was  cutting  in, 
at  the  same  time  drifting  rapidly  down  on  us. 

An  hour  later  we  were  no  more  than  four  miles 
apart,  and  then  it  was  that  the  Britisher  began  to 
scent   our  trick.      He    had    come    to   the   conclusion 


AN   ISLAND   PORT.  1 6/ 

that  a  big  ship  like  ours,  even  though  she  might  be 
a  whaler,  would  not  loaf  around  in  that  fashion  un- 
less for  mischief;  and  once  this  idea  was  in  his  head 
the  skipper  cast  off  from  his  prize,  making  all  sail 
to  windward. 

There  was  no  longer  any  reason  why  we  should 
keep  the  disguise.  Our  yards  were  hoisted  once 
more,  and  with  everything  drawing  we  began  the 
chase,  each  man  of  our  crew  watching  the  progress 
eagerly,  for  the  capture  of  this  ship  meant  some- 
thing more  than  taking  a  prize.  We  could  see  that 
she  was  pierced  with  six  ports  on  a  side,  and  it  was 
reasonable  to  suppose  that  on  board  was  powder 
enough  to  provide  us  with  as  much  as  might  be 
needed  until  another  armed  Britisher  could  be  over- 
hauled. 

Not  until  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  did  we 
come  near  enough  to  pitch  a  few  shots  ahead  and 
over  her,  when  she  hove  to  under  our  lee,  and  a 
mighty  shout  of  mingled  satisfaction  and  triumph 
went  up  from  the  crew. 

This  prize  was  the  Sir  Andrew  Hammond,  of  three 
hundred  and  one  tons,  twelve  guns,  and  thirty-one 
men. 

And    now  comes    the   odd    part   of    the    capture : 


1 68  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX. 

From  the  time  our  ship  had  brought  her  well  in 
sight  the  men  declared  that  she  had  a  familiar  look; 
and  when  finally  she  came  to  within  half  a  mile  of 
us,  Master  Hackett  cried  joyously:  — 

"  We  haven't  outrun  our  luck,  an'  that's  a  fact ! 
Yonder  craft  is  the  same  we  lost  in  the  squall  —  the 
one  that  gave  us  such  a  long  job  with  nothin'  but  a 
few  broken  oars  to  show  for  it !  " 

That  the  old  seaman  had  spoken  only  the  truth 
we  all  understood  now  it  had  been  suggested;  the 
ship  lying  under  our  lee  was  none  other  than  the 
last  we  had  chased  and  lost,  but  only  to  iind  again 
on  this  day  when  we  were  growing  discouraged  with 
much  useless  cruising. 

The  Hammond  proved  to  be  a  rich  prize  for  us 
just  at  that  time,  for  she  had  on  board  a  large  supply 
of  prime  beef,  pork,  bread,  wood,  and  water,  and 
none  of  such  stores  would  be  wasted.  The  ammuni- 
tion was  in  good  condition,  but  not  of  such  quantity 
as  to  satisfy  us;  however,  half  a  loaf  is  better  than 
none  at  all,  and  after  taking  the  prisoners  on  board 
the  Essex,  leaving  a  small  prize  crew  to  handle  the 
new  addition  to  our  fleet,  we  made  sail  for  Banks's 
Bay. 

We  had  hardly  more  than   arrived   there  and  over- 


AN   ISLAND    PORT.  1 69 

hauled  the  Hammond,  than  the  Essex  Junior  came 
into  port  on  her  return  from  Valparaiso,  where  she 
had  left  the  prizes  to  be  sold. 

She  reported  that  five  or  six  heavy  frigates  had  been 
sent  out  from  England  to  search  for  us,  and,  what 
seemed  of  more  importance  at  the  time,  that  the  Chilian 
government  was  no  longer  as  friendly  to  us  as  when 
we  left  port.  The  Britishers  had  most  likely  been 
threatening  them. 

"Well,"  Master  Hackett  said  deliberately,  when 
the  news  I  have  set  down  above  was  made  known 
on  the  gun-deck,  "if  we  had  all  the  powder  that  our 
fleet  needs,  I  reckon  we  could  afford  to  wait  for  the 
Britishers,  an',  what's  more,  flog  the  whole  boilin'  of 
'em  when  they  come.  But  seein's  how  we  ain't  in 
condition  for  heavy  work,  it's  bound  to  be  a  case  of 
twistin'  an'  turnin'  till  we  can  clean  up  our  job  of 
capturin'  whalers." 

"What  then.  Master  Hackett.?"  Phil  asked. 

"  What  then,  lad  }  Why,  I  reckon  we'll  have  to  take 
our  medicine  like  little  men ;  an'  in  the  swallowin'  of 
it  we'll  know  what  British  prison  ships  are  like." 

"  Then  you  don't  beUeve  we  can  double  the  Horn 
without  coming  upon  some  of  them  .-* "  I  asked,  my 
spine  growing  chilly  for  an  instant. 


I/O  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

"  I'm  allowin'  that  the  old  frigate  will  see  her 
finish  this  side  the  cape,  for  it  ain't  good  sense  to 
believe  she  can  fight  her  way  through.  I've  said  all 
along  that  the  Britishers  were  bound  to  smash  us 
some  day,  'cause  it  don't  stand  to  reason  a  nation 
what  claims  to  rule  the  sea  can  afford  to  let  a  little 
craft  like  ours  play  hob  with  'em  in  such  fashion  as 
we've  been  doin'.  For  the  sake  of  their  reputation 
they've  got  to  gather  us  in." 

It  could  plainly  be  seen  that  the  majority  of  our 
crew  held  the  same  opinion  as  did  Master  Hackett, 
and  yet  I  failed  to  discover  anything  which  looked 
like  fear.  The  men  were  satisfied  that  they  had 
worked  the  game  for  all  there  was  in  it,  and  now 
believed  the  day  to  be  near  at  hand  when  we'd  be 
forced  to  haul  down  the  stars  and  stripes,  although  I 
venture  to  say  that  never  one  of  them  fancied  it 
would  be  brought  about  in  such  a  cowardly  fashion 
as  finally  was  the  case. 

The  marines  soon  brought  important  news  to  us 
of  the  gun-deck.  They  reported  that  Captain  Porter 
and  his  officers  had  decided  to  make  port  somewhere 
among  the  Marquesas,  that  group  of  islands  in  the 
Pacific  concerning  which  so  little  was  known  at  the 
time. 


AN  ISLAND   PORT.  171 

We  were  to  search  for  some  secluded  harbor,  so 
the  marines  declared,  and  there  refit  the  fleet  for  the 
homeward  bound  voyage,  which  was  to  be  begun  at 
the  earliest  possible  moment,  in  the  faint  hope  that  we 
might  save  the  frigate  from  those  who  were  coming 
in  such  force  to  capture  her. 

Two  days  afterward,  when  the  stores  from  the  Sir 
Andrew  Hammond  had  been  distributed  among  the 
vessels  of  the  fleet,  all  the  craft  were  ordered  to  get 
under  way,  and  we  set  out  to  find  a  natural  dock- 
yard, for  it  must  be  remembered  that  ships  cannot 
remain  long  at  sea  without  gathering  so  much  marine 
growth  on  their  bottoms  that  the  swiftest  soon  be- 
comes a  sluggish  sailer. 

It  was  to  scrape  the  hulls,  paint  all  the  woodwork 
and  put  it  in  condition  for  that  battle  with  the 
elements  which  awaited  us  off  Cape  Horn,  if  we 
succeeded  in  getting  there,  and  otherwise  make  ready 
for  whatever  might  be  before  us,  that  we  set  off  in 
search  of  a  hiding-place  which  should  at  the  time 
serve  as  a  dock  for  refitting  our  battered  fleet. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

NUKUHEVA. 

WE  set  sail  from  Banks's  Bay  October  2,  in 
company  with  the  Essex  Junior  and  our  prizes, 
but  the  latter  were  such  slow  sailers  as  compared  with 
the  frigate  that  we  did  not  make  the  group  of  the 
Marquesas  until  the  23d,  when  we  ran  here  and  there 
seeking  such  a  harbor  as  would  admit  of  our  perform- 
ing the  work  the  captain  counted  on  doing. 

Not  until  four  days  more  had  passed  did  we  find 
that  which  seemed  to  suit  us  in  every  particular,  and 
then  the  fleet  came  to  anchor  in  a  fine  bay  at  the  island 
of   Nukuheva. 

Now  a  word  in  regard  to  the  spelling  of  the  island's 
name.  My  cousin.  Lieutenant  McKnight,  gave  it  as 
set  down  above;  but  I  have  since  seen  it  written 
**  Nooaheevah,"  and  "  Noukahiva,"  therefore  the  reader, 
if  it  so  chances  that  any  one  ever  reads  what  has  cost 
me  so  much  time  to  set  down,  may  take  his  choice  of 
the  names.    I  believe,  however,  that  it  should  be  written 

172 


NUKUHEVA.  173 

Nukuheva,  because  my  cousin,  the  lieutenant,  told 
me  so. 

And  now,  before  I  relate  anything  concerning  our 
visit  to  this  island,  which  proved  to  be  so  full  of  adven- 
ture, I  ask  permission  to  copy  here  that  which  I  read 
many  years  afterward,  and  this  I  do  because  it  would 
be  impossible  otherwise  to  describe  the  beautiful  place 
—  the  most  beautiful  I  have  ever  seen. 

That  which  follows  was  written  by  a  sailor  ^  who 
spent  many  months  on  the  island,  and  was  fortunate 
in  being  able  to  describe  in  a  most  entertaining  manner 
everything  he  saw,  which  is  by  long  odds  more  than 
I  can  do. 

"The  cluster  comprising  the  islands  of  Roohka, 
Ropo,  and  Nukuheva  were  altogether  unknown  to  the 
world  until  the  year  1791,  when  they  were  discovered 
by  Captain  Ingraham  of  Boston,  nearly  two  centuries 
after  the  discovery  of  the  adjacent  islands  by  the  agent 
of  the  Spanish  viceroy. 

"  Nukuheva  is  the  most  important  of  these  islands, 
being  the  only  one  at  which  ships  are  much  in  the  habit 
of  touching,  and  is  celebrated  as  being  the  place  where 
the  adventurous  Captain  Porter  refitted  his  ships  during 
the  late  war  between  England  and  the  United  States, 
^  Herman  Melville. 


174  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX. 

and  whence  he  sallied  out  upon  the  large  whaling  fleet 
then  sailing  under  the  enemy's  flag  in  the  surrounding 
seas.  This  island  is  about  twenty  miles  in  length  and 
nearly  as  many  in  breadth.  It  has  three  good  harbors 
on  its  coast ;  the  largest  and  best  of  which  is  called  by 
the  people  living  in  its  vicinity,  *  Tyohee,'  and  by 
Captain  Porter  was  denominated  Massachusetts  Bay. 
Among  the  adverse  tribes'  dwelling  about  the  shores 
of  the  other  bays,  and  by  all  voyagers,  it  is  generally 
known  by  the  name  bestowed  upon  the  island  itself  — 
Nukuheva. 

"  In  the  bay  of  Nukuheva  was  the  anchorage  we 
desired  to  reach.  We  had  perceived  the  loom  of  the 
mountains  about  sunset ;  so  that  after  running  all  night 
with  a  very  light  breeze,  we  found  ourselves  close  in 
with  the  island  the  next  morning;  but  as  the  bay  we 
sought  lay  on  its  farther  side,  we  were  obliged  to  sail 
some  distance  along  the  shore,  catching,  as  we  pro- 
ceeded, short  glimpses  of  blooming  valleys,  deep  glens, 
waterfalls,  and  waving  groves,  hidden  here  and  there  by 
projecting  and  rocky  headlands,  every  moment  opening 
to  the  view  some  new  and  startling  scene  of  beauty. 

"  Those  who  for  the  first  time  visit  the  South  Seas, 
generally  are  surprised  at  the  appearance  of  the  islands 
when  beheld  from  the  sea.     From  the  vague  accounts 


NUKUHEVA.  175 

we  sometimes  have  of  their  beauty,  many  people  are 
apt  to  picture  to  themselves  enamelled  and  softly  swell- 
ing plains,  shaded  over  with  delicious  groves,  and 
watered  by  purling  brooks,  and  the  entire  country  but 
little  elevated  above  the  surrounding  ocean.  The  real- 
ity is  very  different;  bold  rock-bound  coasts  with  the 
surf  beating  high  against  the  lofty  cliffs,  and  broken 
here  and  there  into  deep  inlets  which  open  to  the  view 
thickly  wooded  valleys  separated  by  the  spurs  of  moun- 
tains clothed  with  tufted  grass,  and  sweeping  down 
toward  the  sea  from  an  elevated  and  furrowed  interior, 
form  the  principal  features  of  these  islands. 

"...  As  we  slowly  advanced  up  the  bay,  numer- 
ous canoes  pushed  off  from  the  surrounding  shores, 
and  we  were  soon  in  the  midst  of  quite  a  flotilla  of 
them,  their  savage  occupants  struggling  to  get  aboard 
of  us,  and  jostling  one  another  in  their  ineffectual 
attempts. 

"  Occasionally  the  projecting  outriggers  of  their 
slight  shallops,  running  foul  of  one  another,  would 
become  entangled  beneath  the  water,  threatening  to 
capsize  the  canoes,  when  a  scene  of  confusion  would 
ensue  that  baffles  description.  Such  strange  outcries 
and  passionate  gesticulations  I  never  certainly  heard 
or  saw  before.     You  would  have  thought  the  islanders 


176  WITH  PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX. 

were  on  the  point  of  flying  at  one  another's  throats, 
whereas  they  were  only  amicably  engaged  in  disen- 
tangling their  boats. 

"  Scattered  here  and  there  among  the  canoes  might 
be  seen  numbers  of  cocoanuts  floating  closely  together 
in  circular  groups,  and  bobbing  up  and  down  with 
every  wave.  By  some  inexplicable  means  these  cocoa- 
nuts  were  all  steadily  approaching  toward  the  ship. 
As  I  leaned  curiously  over  the  side,  endeavoring  to 
solve  their  mysterious  movements,  one  mass  far  in 
advance  of  the  rest  attracted  my  attention.  In  its 
centre  was  something  I  could  take  for  nothing  less 
than  a  cocoanut,  but  which  I  certainly  considered  one 
of  the  most  extraordinary  specimens  of  the  fruit  I  had 
ever  seen.  It  kept  twirling  and  dancing  about  among 
the  rest  in  the  most  singular  manner,  and  as  it  grew 
nearer  I  thought  it  bore  a  remarkable  resemblance  to 
the  brown  shaven  skull  of  one  of  the  savages.  Pres- 
ently it  betrayed  a  pair  of  eyes,  and  soon  I  became 
aware  that  what  I  had  supposed  to  have  been  one  of 
the  fruit  was  nothing  else  than  the  head  of  an  Islander, 
who  had  adopted  this  singular  method  of  bringing  his 
produce  to  market.  The  cocoanuts  were  all  attached 
to  one  another  by  strips  of  the  husk,  partly  torn  from 
the   shell  and  rudely   fashioned  together.     Their  pro- 


NUKUHEVA.  177 

prietor,  inserting  his  head  into  the  midst  of  them,  im- 
pelled his  necklace  of  cocoanuts  through  the  water  by- 
striking  out  beneath  the  surface  with  his  feet. 

"...  We  had  approached  within  a  mile  and  a  half, 
perhaps,  of  the  foot  of  the  bay,  when  some  of  the 
islanders,  who  by  this  time  had  managed  to  scramble 
aboard  of  us  at  the  risk  of  swamping  their  canoes, 
directed  our  attention  to  a  singular  commotion  in  the 
water  ahead  of  the  vessel.  At  first  I  imagined  it  to  be 
produced  by  a  shoal  of  fish  sporting  on  the  surface,  but 
our  savage  friends  assured  us  that  it  was  caused  by  a 
shoal  of  *  whinhenies '  (young  girls).  Who  in  this  man- 
ner were  coming  off  from  the  shore  to  welcome  us. 
As  they  drew  nearer,  and  I  watched  the  rising  and 
sinking  of  their  forms,  and  beheld  the  uplifted  right 
arm  bearing  above  the  water  the  girdle  of  tappa,  and 
their  long  dark  hair  trailing  behind  them  as  they  swam, 
I  almost  fancied  they  could  be  nothing  else  than  so 
many  mermaids  —  and  very  like  mermaids  they  be- 
haved too.  ... 

"  The  bay  of  Nukuheva  in  which  we  were  then  lying 
is  an  expanse  of  water  not  unlike  in  figure  the  space 
included  within  the  limits  of  a  horseshoe.  It  is,  per- 
haps, nine  miles  in  circumference.  You  approach  it 
from  the  sea  by  a  narrow  entrance,  flanked  on  either 


178  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE  ESSEX. 

side  by  two  small  twin  islets  which  soar  conically  to 
the  height  of  some  five  hundred  feet.  From  these  the 
shore  recedes  on  both  hands,  and  describes  a  deep 
semicircle. 

"  From  the  verge  of  the  water  the  land  rises  uni- 
formly on  all  sides,  with  green  and  sloping  acclivities, 
until  from  gentle  rolling  hillsides  and  moderate  eleva- 
tions it  insensibly  swells  into  lofty  and  majestic  heights, 
whose  blue  outlines,  ranged  all  around,  close  in  the 
view.  The  beautiful  aspect  of  the  shore  is  heightened 
by  deep  and  romantic  glens,  which  come  down  to  it  at 
almost  equal  distances,  all  apparently  radiating  from  a 
common  centre,  and  the  upper  extremities  of  which  are 
lost  to  the  eye  beneath  the  shadow  of  the  mountains. 
Down  each  of  these  little  valleys  flows  a  clear  stream, 
here  and  there  assuming  the  form  of  a  slender  cascade, 
then  stealing  invisibly  along  until  it  bursts  upon  the 
sight  again  in  larger  and  more  noisy  waterfalls,  and  at 
last  demurely  wanders  along  to  the  sea. 

"  The  houses  of  the  natives,  constructed  of  the  yellow 
bamboo,  tastefully  twisted  together  in  a  kind  of  wicker- 
work,  and  thatched  with  the  long  tapering  leaves  of  the 
palmetto,  are  scattered  irregularly  along  these  valleys 
beneath  the  shady  branches  of  the  cocoanut  tree. 

"  Nothing  can  exceed  the  imposing  scenery  of  this 


NUKUHEVA. 


179 


bay.  Viewed  from  our  ship  as  she  lay  at  anchor  in  the 
middle  of  the  harbor,  it  presented  the  appearance  of  a 
vast  natural  amphitheatre  in  decay,  and  overgrown 
with  vines,  the  deep  glens  that  furrowed  its  sides  ap- 
pearing like  enormous  fissures  caused  by  the  ravages  of 
time.  Very  often  when  lost  in  admiration  of  its  beauty, 
I  have  experienced  a  pang  of  regret  that  a  scene  so 
enchanting  should  be  hidden  from  the  world  in  these 
remote  seas,  and  seldom  meet  the  eyes  of  devoted 
lovers  of  nature. 

"  Besides  this  bay  the  shores  of  the  island  are  in- 
dented by  several  other  extensive  inlets,  into  which 
descend  broad  and  verdant  valleys.  These  are  in- 
habited by  as  many  different  kinds  of  savages,  who, 
although  speaking  kindred  dialects  of  a  common  lan- 
guage, and  having  the  same  religion  and  laws,  have 
from  time  immemorial  waged  hereditary  warfare 
against  each  other.  The  intervening  mountains,  gen- 
erally two  or  three  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
sea,  geographically  define  the  territories  of  each  of 
these  hostile  tribes  who  never  cross  them,  save  on  some 
expedition  of  war  or  plunder.  Immediately  adjacent  to 
Nukuheva,  and  only  separated  from  it  by  the  moun- 
tains seen  from  the  harbor,  lies  the  lovely  valley  of 
Happar,  whose  inmates  cherish  the  most  friendly  rela- 


l80  WITH    PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

tions  with  the  inhabitants  of  Nukuheva.  On  the  other 
side  of  Happar,  and  closely  adjoining  it,  is.  the  magnifi- 
cent valley  of  the  dreaded  Typees,  the  unappeasable 
enemies  of  both  these  tribes. 

"These  celebrated  warriors  appear  to  inspire  the 
other  islanders  with  unspeakable  terrors.  Their  very 
name  is  a  frightful  one ;  for  the  word  '  Typee '  in  the 
Marquesan  dialect  signifies  a  lover  of  human  flesh. 

"  It  is  rather  singular  that  the  title  should  have  been 
bestowed  upon  them  exclusively,  inasmuch  as  the 
natives  of  all  this  group  are  irreclaimable  cannibals. 
The  name  may,  perhaps,  have  been  given  to  denote  the 
powerful  ferocity  of  this  clan,  and  to  convey  a  special 
stigma  along  with  it. 

"These  same  Typees  enjoy  a  prodigious  notoriety  all 
over  the  islands.  The  natives  of  Nukuheva  would  fre- 
quently recount  in  pantomime  to  our  ship's  company 
their  terrible  feats,  and  would  show  the  marks  of 
wounds  they  had  received  in  desperate  encounters  with 
them.  When  ashore  they  would  try  to  frighten  us  by 
pointing  to  one  of  their  own  number,  and  calling  him  a 
*  Typee,'  manifesting  no  little  surprise  that  we  did  not 
take  to  our  heels  at  so  terrible  an  announcement.  It 
was  quite  amusing,  too,  to  see  with  what  earnestness 
they  disclaimed  all  cannibal  propensities  on  their  own 


NUKUHEVA.  l8l 

part,  while  they  denounced  their  enemies  —  the  Typees 
—  as  inveterate  gormandizers  of  human  flesh.  .  .  . 

"Although  I  was  convinced  that  the  inhabitants  of 
our  bay  were  as  arrant  cannibals  as  any  of  the  other 
tribes  on  the  island,  still  I  could  not  but  feel  a  particu- 
lar and  most  unqualified  repugnance  to  the  aforesaid 
Typees.  Even  before  visiting  the  Marquesas,  I  had 
heard  from  men  who  had  touched  at  the  group  on  for- 
mer voyages,  some  revolting  stories  in  connection  with 
these  savages ;  and  fresh  in  my  remembrance  was  the 
adventure  of  the  master  of  the  Katherine,  who  only  a 
few  months  previous,  imprudently  venturing  into  this 
bay  in  an  armed  boat  for  the  purpose  of  barter,  was 
seized  by  the  natives,  carried  back  a  little  distance  into 
their  valley,  and  was  only  saved  from  a  cruel  death  by 
the  intervention  of  a  young  girl,  who  facilitated  his 
escape  by  night  along  the  beach  to  Nukuheva. 

"  I  have  heard  too  of  an  English  vessel  that  many 
years  ago,  after  a  weary  cruise,  sought  to  enter  the  bay 
of  Nukuheva,  and  arriving  within  two  or  three  miles 
of  the  land,  was  met  by  a  large  canoe  filled  with 
natives,  who  offered  to  lead  the  way  to  the  place  of 
their  destination.  The  captain,  unacquainted  with  the 
localities  of  the  island,  joyfully  acceded  to  the  proposi- 
tion —  the   canoe    paddled   on   and   the  ship  followed. 


1 82  WITH    PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

She  was  soon  conducted  to  a  beautiful  inlet,  and 
dropped  her  anchor  in  its  waters  beneath  the  shadows 
of  the  lofty  shore.  That  same  night  the  perfidious 
Typees,  who  had  thus  inveigled  her  into  their  fatal  bay, 
flocked  aboard  the  doomed  vessel  by  hundreds,  and  at  a 
given  signal  murdered  every  soul  on  board." 

After  reading  the  description  which  I  have  copied 
word  for  word,  it  is  possible  to  have  a  good  idea  con- 
cerning that  harbor  into  which  our  fleet  sailed,  all  hands 
knowing  full  well  that  here  we  might  remain  secure 
alike  from  the  elements  and  Britishers,  so  long  as  it 
should  please  us  to  stay. 

In  addition,  we  were  free  from  any  fears  regarding 
what  the  natives  might  attempt  to  do,  partly  owing  to 
our  strength,  but  chiefly  because  the  first  person  to  greet 
us  was  neither  more  nor  less  than  a  member  of  the 
American  navy. 

Fancy  meeting  a  Yankee  gentleman  in  this  out-of-the- 
way  place  whose  inhabitants  were  credited  with  being 
the  most  ferocious  of  cannibals,  eager  to  devour  any- 
thing in  the  way  of  human  flesh  that  crossed  their  path  ! 

The  natives  came  out  in  boats  to  meet  us  exactly  as 
is  set  down  in  that  which  I  have  copied ;  but  all  hands 
gave  way  to  a  canoe  in  which  we  saw  one  of  our  own 
countrymen. 


NUKUHEVA.  183 

He  came  over  the  side,  spoke  a  few  words  with  Lieu- 
tenant McKnight,  who  immediately  treated  him  with 
the  greatest  consideration,  and  then  introduced  the 
stranger  to  our  captain. 

It  can  weir  be  supposed  that  every  man  jack  of  our 
crew  stood  by  in  open-mouthed  astonishment  at  seeing 
this  white  man  come  aboard  as  if  he  felt  himself  at 
home  in  the  Marquesas  group ;  but  we  were  forced  to 
remain  in  ignorance  until  that  evening,  when  one  of 
the  marines  unravelled  the  yarn  which  at  first  had 
seemed. too  strange  to  us. 

Our  visitor  was  Mr.  John  Maury,  a  midshipman  of 
the  navy,  who,  with  three  sailors,  had  been  left  in  this 
harbor  by  the  captain  of  an  American  merchantman, 
himself  a  lieutenant  in  the  service,  to  gather  sandal- 
wood while  the  ship  was  gone  to  China.  Now  that  he 
heard  of  the  war  for  the  first  time,  and  believed  his  cap- 
tain would  not  dare  come  to  fetch  him  away,  the  mid- 
shipman proposed  to  Captain  Porter  that  he  and  his 
companions  join  our  frigate;  a  proposition  which  was 
quickly  accepted.  A  little  later  that  evening  the  three 
sailors  came  on  board,  and  mighty  good  shipmates  did 
they  prove  to  be. 

These  last  told  us  of  the  gun-deck  that  a  fierce  war 
was  raging  between  the  Typees  over  the  mountains  and 


1 84  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

the  Happars  who  dwelt  along  the  shore  of  the  bay,  and 
most  likely  it  would  be  necessary  for  us  to  take  part  in 
it  against  the  Typees  if  we  counted  on  being  allowed  to 
remain  unmolested  while  the  repairs  were  being  made 
to  our  ships.         •         . 

This  did  not  cause  us  very  much  uneasiness,  however, 
and  Master  Hackett  but  echoed  the  thought  in  the 
minds  of  all  when  he. said  to  the  newcomers  :  — 

"  Seein's  how  we've  driven  the  Britishers  out  of  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  so  to  speak,  I  reckon  it  won't  be  any 
very  hard  job  to  wipe  up  the  earth  with  a  lot  of  niggers 
that  ain't  supposed  to  know  the  muzzle  of  a  musket 
from  the  stock." 

The  new  sailors  made  no  reply  to  this  rather  bold 
remark,  and  I  fancied  from  the  expression  on  their 
faces  that  they  did  not  believe  we  would  find  it  very 
easy  work  to  do  the  "wiping,"  even  though  the  Typees 
were  ignorant  as  to  the  use  of  a  musket. 

These  jolly  fellows  also  told  us  another  yarn  which 
caused  some  surprise,  and  led  us  to  wonder  whether  we 
might  not  find  more  of  our  countrymen  on  the  island. 

According  to  the  story  which  they  had  heard  from  the 
Happars,  a  small  schooner  had  gone  ashore  further  up 
the  coast,  and  at  least  one  of  her  crew  was  yet  living  with 
the  Typees,  which  went  to  prove,  according  to  my  way 


NUKUHEVA.  185 

of  thinking,  that  these  natives  were  not  quite  the  canni- 
bals they  had  been  represented;  although  Phil  suggested 
that  the  man,  too  lean  for  good  eating,  was  thus  being 
kept  until  he  had  gathered  fat  enough  for  the  roasting. 

However,  we  gave  but  little  heed  to  the  story,  be- 
cause in  the  first  place,  none  of  our  visitors  had  seen 
the  man,  and  secondly,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  na- 
tives might  easily  have  been  mistaken. 

Perhaps  it  would  have  been  better  for  Phil  and  me 
had  we  paid  more  attention  to  the  yarn  and  kept  it  well 
in  mind. 

Next  morning  when  the  captain  and  two  of  the  lieuten- 
ants went  on  shore,  Mr.  Maury  accompanied  them.  He, 
having  learned  the  language,  was  to  act  as  interpreter, 
which  assistance,  so  all  hands  believed,  would  help  us 
along  in  great  shape. 

It  was  owing  to  my  cousin,  Lieutenant  McKnight, 
that  Phil  and  I  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  the  land- 
ing, which  was  a  rare  sight,  I  assure  you. 

When  the  boat's  crew  was  called  away  Stephen 
motioned  for  us  two  lads  to  take  our  places  in  the  boat, 
and  since  each  of  us  pulled  an  oar,  it  is  doubtful  if  the 
captain  knew  that  we  were  out  of  place. 

The  natives  had  been  swimming  around  our  ship 
since  early  dayhght,  passing  up  fruit  and  flowers  until 


1 86  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE  ESSEX. 

the  gun-deck  of  the  Essex  had  much  the  appearance  of 
a  country  fair-ground ;  and  now  when  the  captain  was 
rowed  ashore  they  followed  our  boat,  tossing  and  tum- 
bling in  the  water  like  a  lot  of  seals,  or,  perhaps,  mer- 
maids, though  I'm  not  just  certain  how  these  last  would 
act  under  the  same  circumstances. 

Well,  the  natives  gave  Captain  Porter  a  fine  recep- 
tion, —  though  perhaps  they  would  have  made  him  into 
a  stew  but  for  the  fact  that  they  were  needing  help  in 
their  war,  —  and,  later  in  the  day,  we  learned  by  way 
of  the  marines  that  our  commander  had  agreed  to  do 
whatever  he  might  to  end  the  war. 

As  we  were  situated  he  couldn't  have  done  less  than 
agree  to  this,  so  our  old  sea  lawyers  declared  after  a 
tremendous  lot  of  jawing ;  for  unless  the  natives  were 
willing  to  help  us  with  the  repairs  and  keep  the  peace, 
Nukuheva  harbor  was  no  place  for  us. 

During  the  afternoon  one  watch  from  each  ship  was 
given  shore  leave,  and  every  Happar  who  owned  a 
house  set  out  his  best  in  the  way  of  a  feast  for  the 
frolicsome  sailors. 

We  were  given  quarts  and  quarts  of  peoo-peoo, 
which  looks  exactly  like  thick  flour  paste  and  tastes  like 
a  nice  stew,  and  in  the  eating  of  it  we  made  fun  enough 
for  the  natives  to  keep  them  laughing  half  a  life-time. 


NUKUHEVA.  187 

It  seems,  as  we  learned  afterward,  that  the  people  stick 
their  finger  into  the  stuff,  twist  it  around  a  bit,  and 
manage  to  hook  up  a  portion  as  large  as  a  walnut ;  but 
there's  considerable  of  a  knack  in  that  kind  of  work,  as 
we  soon  learned  to  our  cost. 

Master  Hackett,  Phil,  and  I,  the  guests  of  an  old 
native  who  was  covered  with  tattooing  till  his  body 
looked  like  a  piece  of  calico,  contrived  to  cover  our 
hands  and  face  with  the  sticky  stuff ;  and  if  the  old 
woman  who  appeared  to  be  our  host's  wife  had  not 
swabbed  us  off  with  a  mop,  we  would  have  been  glued 
fast  to  whatever  we  touched. 

We  were  also  treated  to  the  milk  of  young  cocoanuts, 
which  comes  precious  near  being  the  best  drink  you  ever 
tasted,  and  fruit  of  all  kinds,  which  would  have  been 
received  with  more  show  of  gratitude  but  for  the  fact 
that  the  gun-deck  of  the  Essex  was  literally  lumbered 
up  with  such  stuff. 

Describe  what  we  saw  and  did  that  afternoon }  It's 
beyond  me  entirely,  and  I  must  give  over  the  attempt 
by  saying  that  it  was  the  queerest  and  quite  the  most 
enjoyable  half  day  I  ever  spent.  Of  course  we  couldn't 
do  any  chinning  with  the  natives ;  but  we  looked  at 
them  and  laughed,  and  they  looked  at  us  laughing  still 
harder,  until  we  managed  to  get  the  same  idea  they 


1 88  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX. 

probably  did,  that  the  whole  boiling  of  us  were  firm 
friends  forever. 

I  wish  you  could  have  seen  those  boys  and  girls 
swim !  They  were  like  so  many  ducks  in  the  water, 
and  spent  the  greater  portion  of  their  time,  when  there 
was  no  company  at  home,  drifting  around  the  bay  with, 
so  far  as  Phil  and  I  could  make  out,  no  effort  whatever 
to  keep  themselves  afloat. 

Next  morning  the  other  watch  was  given  shore  leave, 
and  meanwhile  our  officers  were  making  preparation^ 
for  the  war  which  must  be  fought  before  we  could  set 
about  getting  the  fleet  into  trim  for  another  rub  with 
the  Britishers. 

There  was  more  than  one  man  on  our  gun-deck 
who  began  to  believe,  now  there  was  no  question  but 
we  should  have  a  scrimmage  ashore,  that  it  was  risky 
for  our  captain  to  take  any  part  in  the  quarrel,  and 
the  argument  they  put  forth  was  a  good  one,  as  even 
Master  Hackett  was  forced  to  admit. 

In  the  first  place  we  were  so  few  in  numbers  that 
not  a  single  vessel  in  the  fleet  was  fully  manned, 
and  there  would  be  no  opportunity  to  enlist  others 
to  make  up  a  crew.  Every  man  killed  or  disabled 
would  weaken  our  force  just  so  much  when  we  met 
the  British  ships  of  war,  and  such  chances  as  these 
we  had  no  right  to  take. 


NUKUHEVA.  189 

In  the  second  place  our  jackies  understood  nothing 
about  fighting  on  land,  particularly  in  such  a  wild 
country  as  we  saw  before  us.  The  natives  might  not 
be  overly  well  armed ;  but  we  knew  for  a  fact  that 
they  possessed  weapons  of  some  kind  and  could  use 
them  to  good  advantage. 

"  How  much  show  would  an  old  shellback  who 
must  depend  upon  a  cutlass  or  a  boarding  pike,  stand 
against  these  black  fellows  in  a  bit  of  woods  so  thick 
that  you  couldn't  swing  a  cat  ? "  one  of  the  men  asked, 
and  Master  Hackett  replied  sharply :  — 

"We've  muskets  enough  to  arm  all  hands,  an'  I 
allow  that  you've  got  sense  enough  to  pull  the  trigger 
after  the  piece  has  been  loaded,  eh } " 

"  I  can  do  that  much  all  right,  matey ;  but  what 
about  the  rest  of  it.  While  I'm  mixed  up  with  a  lot  of 
bushes  tryin'  to  reload,  how  am  I  to  keep  the  villains 
from  comin'  to  close  quarters  where  I'm  outclassed .? " 

"If  you're  goin'  to  pick  up  sich  imaginin's  as  that, 
I  reckon  you  wouldn't  be  fit  timber  for  a  shore  fight; 
but  I'd  hate  to  say  I  was  a  Yankee,  an'  didn't  dare 
to  stand  up  in  front  of  these  heathen." 

"  I'm  willin'  enough  to  stand  up  pervidin*  I  can 
find  out  what  it  all  amounts  to.  We're  mixin'  in  this 
'ere  row  without  gettin'  any  benefit  from  it," 


1 90  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

"We  shall  have  the  use  of  the  bay  while  we're 
refittin',  an'  won't  stand  in  danger  of  bein'  knocked 
over  by  a  dirty  heathen  and  a  club." 

"There's  plenty  of  islands  about  here  with  bays  as 
big  as  we  need,  an'  no  bloomin'  war  on  hand,"  the 
old  barnacle  said  in  a  surly  tone,  whereupon  Master 
Hackett  jumped  upon  him,  so  to  speak:  — 

"  How  do  you  know  that  ?  Have  you  been  knockin' 
'round  these  seas  so  many  years  that  you  can  call  to 
mind  every  hole  and  corner  ?  If  three  white  men  can 
live  here  a  matter  of  ten  months,  as  we  know  has 
been  the  case,  why  isn't  it  the  choice  island  of  the 
whole  group  for  us  ? " 

"  I  ain't  kickin'  about  the  island ;  it's  the  war  that 
sticks  in  my  crop." 

"  Let  it  stick  there  then,"  Master  Hackett  growled. 
*'  Send  word  aft  that  you've  got  a  rush  of  light-colored 
blood  to  the  head,  an'  ain't  fit  to  be  trusted  ashore.  I 
reckon  the  captain  will  let  you  off  without  makin' 
much  of  a  fuss." 

"  See  here,  Hiram  Hackett,  you're  too  free  with 
your  tongue,  an'  that's  no  lie  either.  When  I  try  to 
get  out  of  a  scrimmage,  jest  let  me  know,  an'  I'll 
make  you  a  present  of  the  best  pair  of  black  eyes 
you  ever  wore.     I  reckon  a  man  can  have  his  growl 


NUKUHEVA.  191 

without  it  bein'  told  all  over  the  ship  that  he's  get- 
tin'  weak  in  the  upper  story,  eh  ? " 

This  last  remark  brought  the  squabble  to  a  close, 
and  each  man  appeared  to  think  that  he  had  come 
off  at  the  top  of  the  heap,  when,  according  to  my 
idea,  they  ended  in  the  same  place   they  began. 

Phil  and  I  did  a  good  bit  of  thinking  and  arguing 
over  this  new  war  in  which  we  were  to  take  part; 
but  we  were  mighty  careful  not  to  speak  of  it  where 
any  sailorman  might  hear  us,  and  in  the  meantime 
we  watched  and  took  part  in  the  preparations. 

On  the  third  day  after  our  arrival  a  crowd  of 
Typees  appeared  on  the  crests  of  the  mountains, 
brandishing  spears  and  clubs  as  if  they  counted  on 
killing  and  eating  us  in  short  order. 

One  of  the  marines  told  us  of  the  gun-deck  that 
Captain  Porter  had  sent  word  to  the  Typees  that  he 
had  force  enough  to  take  possession  of  the  island,  and 
if  they  didn't  mind  their  eyes  and  keep  peaceable,  he'd 
settle  the  hash  of  the  whole  tribe  before  their  chief 
could  so  much  as  say,  scat !  I  didn't  believe  the  yarn, 
however,  for  if  all  that  Mr.  Maury's  sailormen  had  told 
us  was  true,  where  did  the  captain  find  a  messenger  to 
carry  his  threats  ? 

Phil   and   I   had    supposed,    from    the   preparations 


192  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE   ESSEX. 

which  were  being  made,  and  the  talk  we  had  heard, 
that  we'd  begin  our  share  of  the  war  before  work  was 
commenced  on  the  vessels ;  but  this  we  soon  learned 
was  a  mistake. 

The  muskets,  cutlasses,  and  ammunition  had  been 
taken  out  where  we  might  get  at  them  handily,  I  sup- 
pose, and  the  boats  were  fitted  up  with  small  2-pounder 
guns,  after  which  we  were  set  to  work  on  other  duties. 

Camps,  made  of  spare  sails,  were  set  up  in  a  grove  a 
short  distance  from  the  shore,  and  the  frigate  pulled  in 
where  we  might  clean  her  bottom  by  diving,  or,  what 
was  better  still,  hire  the  natives  to  do  it. 

Phil  and  I  were  detailed  for  shore  duty,  and  we  had 
a  soft  snap  of  it,  since  our  only  work  was  to  help  the 
cooks;  and  while  the  men  were  setting  up  rigging, 
scraping  spars,  or  slushing  down  the  masts,  we  loafed 
in  the  cool  grove,  enjoying  ourselves  mightily. 

We  didn't  see  anything  that  looked  like  war,  except 
once  in  a  while  when  a  crowd  of  Typees  came  out  on 
the  top  of  the  mountain  and  shook  their  clubs  at  us ; 
but  all  that  was  such  harmless  amusement  for  them, 
and  did  not  interfere  with  us  in  the  slightest,  that  we 
came  to  think  of  the  promise  to  the  natives  as  some- 
thing already  forgotten. 

Now  and  again  we  would  hear  of  the  white  man  who 


NUKUHEVA.  193 

was  with  the  Typees,  evidently  enjoying  himself,  and 
more  than  one  of  our  crew  seemed  to  think  it  was  the 
captain's  duty  to  go  in  search  of  him ;  but  nothing  was 
done  in  that  line,  and  meanwhile  the  work  on  the  fleet 
was  progressing  in  great  shape. 

All  the  ships  had  been  cleaned  of  the  marine  growth 
which  prevented  them  from  saiHng  at  their  best  speed,  and 
on  each  a  fair  share  of  other  work  had  been  done. 

Captain  Porter  had  given  out  that  the  name  of  the 
bay  was  to  be  "  Massachusetts"  instead  of  Nukuheva; 
but  otherwise  than  that,  and  the  fact  that  we  had  grown 
fast  friends  with  the  natives,  particularly  the  girls  and 
young  fellows,  all  was  as  when  we  first  arrived. 

Then  came  the  day  when  we  found  that  our  com- 
mander meant  all  he  promised,  so  far  as  taking  a  hand 
in  the  war  was  concerned. 

The  Typees,  having  danced  and  shaken  their  clubs 
without  being  disturbed,  probably  came  to  believe  that 
we  wouldn't  attempt  to  do  them  any  harm  if  they  cut 
capers  with  the  Happars,  so  they  began  operations  by 
coming  into  the  valley  one  dark  night,  tearing  down 
houses,  trampling  over  gardens,  and  killing  bread-fruit 
trees. 

The  scoundrels  did  a  big  lot  of  mischief,  and  having 
grown  bolder  by  action,  even  had  the  cheek  to  send  a  mes- 


194  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE   ESSEX. 

senger  to  Captain  Porter  with  the  announcement  that  he 
was  a  coward  who  didn't  dare  come  on  the  mountains. 

Master  Hackett  was  near  by  when  the  Typee  boy 
arrived,  and  heard  Mr.  Maury  translate  the  message. 
This  is  the  old  sailor's  story :  — 

"The  captain  kept  his  face  straight  when  the  lad 
begun,  and  then  Mr.  Maury  tried  to  back  down  from 
repeatin'  all  that  was  said ;  but  our  commander  wouldn't 
have  any  such  sneakin'  as  that.  *  Repeat  every  word, 
sir ! '  he  cried,  an'  the  little  midshipman  went  at  it 
lookin'  as  if  he  counted  on  bein'  kicked  after  it  was 
finished.  When  all  was  said,  the  captain  sent  his  mes- 
sage back,  which  was  this :  *  Tell  him  who  sent  you 
that  I  will  be  on  the  mountain  before  the  sun  has  risen 
three  times,  an'  then  it  will  be  seen  which  of  us  is  the 
coward.'  The  boy  went  off,  though  some  of  the  Hap- 
pars  claimed  he  ought  'er  be  killed  jest  for  the  sake  of 
keepin'  their  hand  in  at  such  work ;  an'  I  reckon  we'll 
know  mighty  soon  what  it's  like  to  be  standin'  up 
against  a  lot  of  niggers  with  nothin'  but  a  musket  an'  a 
cutlass  to  help  out." 

The  island  war  was  to  be  begun,  and  I  felt  very 
uncomfortable  in  the  region  of  my  spine,  for  there  was 
good  reason  to  believe  I  would  soon  succeed  in  proving 
myself  an  arrant  coward. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

AN  OLD   ENEMY. 

PHIL  and  I  were  not  the  only  ones  who  felt  dis- 
turbed in  mind  by  the  knowledge  that  within  a 
few  hours  we  should  be  waging  war  against  the 
natives. 

Many  an  old  shellback  shook  his  head  ominously 
on  hearing  of  the  message  sent  by  Captain  Porter, 
and  more  than  one  predicted  that  the  "  luck  of  the 
Essex''  would  desert  her  immediately  we  began  to 
"fool  'round  on  shore,  sticking  our  noses  into  other 
people's  business." 

It  was  not  for  a  couple  of  lads  like  Phil  and  me 
to  criticise  the  movements  of  our  commander,  and  yet 
we  did  venture  to  do  so  when  certain  there  was  no 
one  within  earshot  to  repeat  our  words  where  trouble 
might  be  brewed  for  us. 

Thus  far  we  had  succeeded  in  carrying  on  the  work 
of  refitting,  with  no  interruption  whatsoever,  —  unless 
you  might  reckon  it  a  disturbing  influence  to  have  a 
crowd  of  Typees  on  a  hill-top  two  or  three  miles  away 

195 


196  WITH  PORTER   IN  THE  ESSEX. 

shaking  their  clubs  at  us,  —  and,  so  far  as  any  one  could 
say,  we  might  be  able  to  continue  at  the  task  until 
it  was  finished. 

At  all  events,  so  Phil  argued,  it  would  be  wiser  if 
we  kept  at  work  as  long  as  possible,  and  knocked  off 
to  fight  only  when  it  was  absolutely  necessary  to  do  so 
in  order  to  save  our  lives  or  protect  our  property. 

It  was  not  reasonable  to  suppose  that  our  sailor- 
men  would  be  able  to  make  much  of  a  fist  at  fighting 
amid  the  thickets  and  on  the  cliffs  against  those  who 
had  been  accustomed  all  their  lives  to  such  work,  even 
though  ours  might  be  superior  weapons;  and  should 
we  gain  the  victory,  the  cost  might  be  greater  than 
we  could  afford. 

When  a  commander  lacks  a  sufficient  number  of 
men  to  handle  all  the  vessels  of  his  fleet,  it  surely 
seems  like  taking  a  great  risk  to  run  the  chance  of 
having  that  number  made  less  by  the  spears  of  an 
enemy,  to  vanquish  whom  can  be  no  very  great  honor. 

Thus  Phil  and  I  argued;  but  there  was  another 
phase  of  this  war  which  struck  us  more  keenly,  al- 
though we  did  not  talk  about  it  very  much.  Suppose 
any  of  us  should  be  taken  prisoners !  There  appeared 
to  be  no  question  but  that  the  natives  were  canni- 
bals,  and  the   idea   of  being   cooked   and   eaten   was 


AN  OLD   ENEMY.  I97 

something  so  horrible  that  we  did  not  venture  to  so 
much  as  speak  of  it.  The  possible  fact  remained  in 
our  minds  more  clearly,  perhaps,  because  we  did  not 
put  the  thoughts  into  words. 

It  did  not  afford  any  great  relief  to  know  that  Mas- 
ter Hackett  had  very  much  the  same  mental  trouble. 
After  we  three  had  done  our  share  in  bringing  on 
shore  a  6-pounder  to  be  used  in  the  battle  on  the 
mountain,  and  were  lying  in  the  grove  taking  a  short 
rest,  the  old  man  said  musingly,  as  if  speaking  to 
himself :  — 

"  I  don't  reckon  him  as  serves  for  the  roast  at  one 
of  these  'ere  feasts  knows  very  much  about  what's 
goin'  on,  seein's  how  he's  dead  an'  baked;  but  it  has 
always  struck  me  that  I'd  rather  have  a  grave  in  the 
ground,  than  inside  one  of  these  'ere  niggers." 

"  Do  you  suppose  they  eat  all  who  are  killed  in 
battle  ? "   Phil  asked,  his  voice  trembling   perceptibly. 

**  It  would  come  to  that  in  the  end,  lad  ;  though  if 
the  fight  was  a  big  one,  I  reckon  some  of  them  as 
were  dead  would  have  to  be  salted  down." 

"  I  wish  we  were  to  get  under  way  to-morrow,  in- 
stead of  going  out  through  that  tangle  of  trees  and 
vines  to  prove  that  Captain  Porter  is  no  coward," 
Phil  said  with  a  sigh. 


198  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

"So  do  I,  lad.  I  reckon  we  could  refit  our  ships 
without  doin'  very  much  fightin',  an'  what  little  trouble 
might  be  necessary  could  be  carried  on  here  in  the 
open,  where  we    sailormen  would    have  a  fair   show." 

More  than  this  Master  Hackett  did  not  say  at  the 
time,  but  from  it  I  understood  that  he  had  come  to 
look  upon  a  battle  with  the  Typees  as  something  which 
might  well  be  postponed  until  we  had  a  larger  crew. 

I  must  say  a  word  in  favor  of  our  commander's  deci- 
sion, otherwise  it  may  be  thought  that  he  sent  his  men 
into  danger  without  due  cause. 

In  order  to  gain  the  assistance  of  those  natives  living 
near  about  the  bay,  he  had  been  forced  to  promise  the 
Happars  that  he  would  give  the  Typees  a  lesson  such  as 
they  deserved ;  and  now  was  come  the  time  when  that 
should  be  done,  otherwise  we  might  count  on  having 
trouble  with  those  who  had  stood  our  friends. 

While  Master  Hackett  and  we  lads  were  taking  our 
ease  in  the  grove,  a  party  of  natives  numbering  two 
or  three  hundred  carried  the  6-pounder  to  the  summit 
of  the  nearest  mountain,  and  from  that  moment  until 
the  expedition  was  really  begun  the  Happar  warriors 
continued  to  come  in  from  their  homes  ready  for  battle 
until  there  were  not  less,  so  my  cousin.  Lieutenant 
McKnight,  declared,  than  two  thousand  men  stationed 


AN   OLD   ENEMY.  1 99 

on  or  near  the  hill  where  was  the  gun,  all  in  something 
approaching  military  order. 

These  soldiers  were  most  imposing  in  appearance, 
even  though  they  were  heathen.  The  ordinary  cos- 
tume, now  they  were  attired  for  battle,  was  much  like 
this,  and  I  have  taken  the  description  from  a  writer 
who,  having  lived  two  years  among  them,  can  well  be 
considered  as  an  authority  :  — 

"The  splendid,  long,  drooping  tail-feathers  of  the 
tropical  bird,  thickly  interspersed  with  the  gaudy  plu- 
mage of  the  cock,  were  disposed  in  an  immense  upright 
semicircle  upon  his  head,  their  lower  extremities  being 
fixed  in  a  crescent  of  guinea-beads  which  spanned  the 
forehead.  Around  his  neck  were  several  enormous 
necklaces  of  boar's  tusks,  polished  like  ivory,  and  dis- 
posed in  such  a  manner  that  the  longest  'and  largest 
were  upon  his  capacious  chest. 

"  Thrust  forward  through  the  large  apertures  in  his 
ears  were  two  small  and  finely  shaped  sperm-whale 
teeth,  presenting  their  cavities  in  front,  stuffed  with 
freshly  plucked  leaves,  and  curiously  wrought  at  the 
other  end  into  strange  little  images  and  devices.  The 
loins  of  the  warrior  were  girt  about  with  heavy  folds  of 
dark-colored  tappa,  hanging  before  and  behind  in  clus- 
ters of  braided  tassels,  while  anklets  and  bracelets  of 


2CX)  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

curling  human  hair  completed  his  unique  costume.  In 
his  right  hand  he  grasped  a  beautifully  carved  paddle 
spear,  nearly  fifteen  feet  in  length,  made  of  the  bright 
koa  wood,  one  end  sharply  pointed,  and  the  other  flat- 
tened like  an  oar  blade. 

"  Hanging  obliquely  from  his  girdle  by  a  loop  of  sin- 
nate,  was  a  richly  decorated  pipe ;  the  slender  stem 
was  colored  with  a  red  pigment,  and  round  it,  as  well 
as  the  idol-bowl,  fluttered  little  streamers  of  thinnest 
tappa.  But  that  which  was  most-  remarkable  in  the 
appearance  of  the  splendid  islander  was  the  elaborate 
tattooing  displayed  on  every  noble  limb.  All  imagina- 
ble lines  and  curves  and  figures  were  delineated  over 
his  whole  body,  and  in  their  grotesque  variety  and 
infinite  profusion  I  could  only  compare  them  to  the 
crowded  groupings  of  quaint  patterns  we  sometimes  see 
in  costly  pieces  of  lace  work." 

Now  fancy  that  two  thousand  of  these  fierce-looking 
fellows  were  hanging  around,  while  you  knew  that  just 
over  the  mountain  were  seven  or  eight  thousand  more, 
and  you  will  have  some  idea  of  how  Phil  and  I  felt 
when  we  knew  that  our  little  company  of  white  people 
were  to  make,  or  help  make  war,  understanding  full 
well  that  the  dead  and  those  taken  prisoners  would 
serve  as  food  for  the  living  victors. 


AN   OLD   ENEMY.  20I 

It  was  by  no  means  a  cheering  prospect,  view  it  from 
whatever  standpoint  you  choose. 

However,  all  troubles  are  greatest  when  looked  at 
from  a  distance,  and  this  was  no  exception  to  the  rule. 

On  the  morning  of  the  second  day,  when  Phil  and  I 
had  worked  ourselves  into  a  regular  perspiration  of 
fear,  the  Happar  army,  with  the  exception  of  those  on 
the  mountain  guarding  the  6-pounder,  were  drawn  up 
near  the  beach  awaiting  the  coming  of  our  men  before 
proceeding  to  smoke  out  the  Typees. 

I  listened  in  fear  and  trembling  to  hear  the  order  for 
all  hands  to  fall  into  line,  and  my  surprise  was  as  great 
as  my  relief,  which  is  putting  it  very  strong,  when  I 
learned  that  Captain  Porter  did  not  count  on  risking 
many  of  his  men  in  an  encounter. 

Forty  sailors  and  marines  had  already  been  told  off, 
and  Lieutenant  Downes  was  placed  in  command,  after 
which  Mr.  Maury  was  ordered  to  let  the  Happar 
leaders  know  that  our  force  was  ready. 

Master  Hackett  was  not  among  the  number  chosen, 
and  although  he  had  protested  that  we  had  no  right 
to  take  part  in  this  war,  he  appeared  decidedly  dis- 
gruntled because  of  .being  left  behind. 

"  I  see  they've  taken  the  younger  sailors,"  he  said 
to    Phil    and    me    as    we    watched    the  small  body  of 


202  WITH    PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

white  men,  completely  encircled  by  the  fierce-looking 
savages,  march  off  toward  the  mountain.  "  If  the 
captain  thinks  that  a  crowd  of  boys  will  do  the  work 
of  men,  then  I  allow  he's  makin'  the  mistake  of  his 
life." 

"  After  all  that's  been  said  against  the  war,  you 
ought  to  be  well  satisfied  that  you're  not  called  upon 
to  take  part,"  I  said  in  surprise,  whereat  the  old  man 
turned  upon  me  as  if  in  anger. 

"  It  makes  no  difference  what  I  think,  when  a  part 
of  the  crew  are  called  out  on  an  expedition  like  this. 
It's  my  right  to  go  with  'em,  an'  perhaps  Captain  Por- 
ter will  come  to  the  conclusion,  before  this  day  is 
ended,  that  he's  made  a  mistake  in  puttin'  all  his 
dependence  on  young  fellows  who  haven't  had  ex- 
perience enough  to  steady  them  !  " 

Neither  Phil  nor  I  were  disposed  to  quarrel  with 
that  which  enabled  us  to  remain  in  a  position  of  at 
least  partial  security,  while  the  other  poor  fellows 
were  perspiring  and  fuming  as  they  made  their  way 
through  the  jungle  on  a  six-mile  tramp. 

It  would  be  no  slight  task  to  scale  the  mountains 
when  the  heat,  even  while  one  remained  on  the  sea- 
shore, was  most  intense;  and  we  could  well  fancy 
what  the  temperature  must  be   amid   the  thicket. 


AN   OLD    ENEMY.  203 

Ten  minutes  after  the  rear-guard  of  the  army  had 
passed  by  our  lounging-place,  the  entire  force  was 
hidden  from  view  by  the  foliage,  and  we  saw  nothing 
more  of  them  until  two  hours  later,  when  the  fore- 
most of  the  gaudily  bedecked  warriors  appeared  on 
the  naked  mountain-side  above  the  line  of  trees. 

At  such  a  distance  they  looked  like  ants,  rather 
than  human  beings  ;  and  finding  it  impossible  to  dis- 
tinguish our  men  from  the  savages,  we  ceased  to 
strain  our  eyes,  accounting  it  too  much  of  an  exertion 
while  the  heat  was  so  great. 

Mr.  Maury  had  told  us  that  the  Typees  had  a 
strong  fort  on  the  summit  of  the  second  mountain, 
and  it  was  probable  the  engagement,  if  one  ensued, 
would  be  at  such  a  distance  from  the  shore  that  we 
could  have  no  view  of  it  whatsoever;  therefore  we 
set  about  our  duties  of  waiting  upon  the  cooks,  well 
content  with  such  menial  offices  as  we  thought  of 
our  shipmates  in  the  forest. 

Master  Hackett  found  enough  on  board  the  Essex 
to  occupy  his  time  profitably,  and  half  an  hour  after 
the  army  set  forth,  all  hands  of  us  on  the  shore  of 
the  bay  were  working  as  quietly  as  if  there  was  no 
possibility  a  battle  would  be  fought  which  might 
affect  us  most  keenly. 


204  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE  ESSEX. 

Until  dinner  had  been  cooked  and  eaten  we  two 
lads  found  little  opportunity  for  conversation  with  one 
another;  but  after  the  meal  had  come  to  an  end,  and 
those  detailed  for  work  upon  the  ships  were  at  their 
tasks  once  more,  our  hour  of  idleness  was  come. 

We  were  at  liberty  to  do  as  we  pleased  until  it  was 
time  to  prepare  supper,  and  Phil  said,  when  I  started 
for  our  old  lounging-place,  the  grove :  — 

"With  all  the  afternoon  before  us,  why  shouldn't 
we  have  a  look  at  what's  going  on  over  yonder  ? " 
and    he   pointed   toward  the  mountain  summit. 

"  Do  you  mean  that  we,  being  clear  of  such  danger 
because  of  our  duties,  shall  voluntarily  take  part  in 
a  fight  ? "  I  asked  in  surprise. 

"  Fm  not  counting  on  having  anything  to  do  with 
one,  save  as  spectator,"  he  repHed  with  a  laugh. 
"  Mr.  Maury  has  said  that  the  Typee  fort  is  on  the 
second  summit,  therefore  our  people  have  far  to  go 
before  beginning  their  work.  Now,  it  wouldn't  be 
such  a  very  hard  task  for  us  to  climb  to  the  top  of 
this  first  mountain  and  there  have  a  full  view  of  all 
that's  being  done.  A  battle  between  savages  must 
be  something  fine,  and  there  are  few  lads  who  ever 
had  such  an  opportunity  as  is  ours  if  we  choose  to 
take  advantage  of   it." 


AN   OLD   ENEMY.  205 

There  was  much  of  truth  in  what  he  said.  The  idea 
had  not  come  into  my  head  before,  that  I  might,  from 
some  secure  spot,  see  all  that  was  being  done,  but 
now  that  it  had  been  suggested  I  was  decidedly  in 
favor  of  the  plan. 

True,  it  would  cost  us  severe  labor  to  climb  the 
mountain-side ;  but  the  descent  would  be  easy,  and 
surely  we  could  well  afford  to  spend  some  of  our 
strength  in  order  to  witness  such  a  sight  as  might  at 
this  moment  be  presented. 

"  I'm  with  you,"  was  my  reply  as  I  rose  quickly  to 
my  feet.  **  Shall  we  tell  Master  Hackett  what  we 
propose  doing  ? " 

"There's  no  real  need  of  it,  and  it  would  cost  us 
a  good  half  hour's  time  to  go  out  to  the  Essex  and 
back.  By  hurrying  up  a  bit  now,  we  can  be  down 
here  again  before  he  has  knocked  off  work." 

"  Come  on ! "  I  cried  gleefully,  and  we  ran  forward, 
following  the  footsteps  of  the  war  party  until  we  were 
come  to  some  huge  boulders  about  two  miles  from  the 
shore,  directly  over  which  the  trail  seemed  to  lead. 

"We  can  afford  to  go  around  such  a  barrier  as 
that,"  I  said  lazily,  as  we  came  to  a  hajt.  "  The  sav- 
ages, accustomed  to  such  climbing,  and  in  haste  to 
get  into  position,   most  likely  took   the   shortest  cut." 


206  WITH    PORTER  IN  THE   ESSEX. 

Phil  was  of  my  opinion,  and  thus  each  of  us 
proved  himself  to  be  a  simple,  for  we  should  have 
realized  that  the  Happars  would  take  the  best  course, 
and  if  a  pile  of  boulders  might  be  avoided  by  a  slight 
detour,  they  would  not  hesitate  about  making  it. 

We  went  on  our  own  course,  however,  and  after 
climbing  for  half  an  hour  over  the  mossy  slope  which 
seemed  slippery  as  glass,  found  the  barrier  still  on 
the  port  side,  with  no  indication  of  coming  to  an 
end. 

**It  can't  make  much  difference  to  us,"  Phil  said 
cheerily.  "We're  not  bound  for  the  Typee  fort;  but 
only  ask  for  a  place  where  we  can  see  what  is  being 
done  on  the  next  mountain." 

During  fully  half  an  hour  more  we  climbed,  and 
then,  without  warning,  found  ourselves  in  the  midst 
of  tall  yellow  weeds  growing  together  as  thickly  as 
they  could  stand,  and  as  tough  and  stubborn  as  so 
much  iron. 

I  tried  to  force  them  apart  with  my  hands ;  but  such 
an  attempt  was  useless,  and,  half  crouching,  I  brought 
my  shoulder  to  bear  against  the  yellow  stalks,  when 
I  found  it  possible,  by  the  exercise  of  all  my  strength, 
to  move  forward  slowly. 

We  toiled   on   for  thirty   minutes    more,   expecting 


AN  OLD   ENEMY.  20/ 

each  instant  to  come  to  the  end  of  the  growth,  and 
then  Phil  threw  himself  down  exhausted. 

The  reeds  closed  in  upon  us  as  we  advanced,  and 
thus  we  were  completely  shut  out  from  any  breath 
of  air  which  might  be  stirring.  The  heat  was  more 
intense  than  I  had  ever  experienced,  and  it  seemed 
almost  impossible  that  I  could  continue  the  ascent 
ten  minutes  longer. 

"We'd  best  put  back,  and  try  our  luck  over  the 
boulders ! "  Phil  said,  panting  so  heavily  that  it  was 
only  with  difficulty  he  could  speak  intelligently. 

**  We've  fought  our  way  through  this  stuff  for  an 
hour,  and  it  will  take  us  as  long  to  go  back,"  I  said 
petulantly.  "  It  stands  to  reason  that  we  must  come 
to  an  end  of  such  work  very  soon,  and  we'd  better 
push  on,  if  only  to  find  an  easier  way  of  descent." 

Phil  made  no  decided  objection  to  this  proposi- 
tion, and  after  a  short  time  of  rest  I  led  the  way 
once  more,  straining  my  eyes  in  vain  for  some  token 
that  we  were  near  the  end  of  this  most  fatiguing 
journey. 

On,  on  we  pressed,  I  wishing  most  devoutly  that 
I  had  never  fallen  in  with  Phil's  scheme,  and  then, 
suddenly,  the  ironlike  weeds  became  less  dense.  It 
was  possible  to  make  my  way  with  far  less  exertion, 


208  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX. 

and  I  shouted  the  joyful  information  to  Phil,  who  I 
knew  needed  something  to  cheer  him  on. 

"We're  getting  out  where  it  will  be  possible  to 
take  our  choice  of  paths!"  I  cried;  "and  if  you're 
of  the  same  opinion,  we  won't  travel  many  miles 
farther  for  the  sake  of  seeing  a  battle  between  the 
savages,  but  make  our  way  back  to  the  shore." 

I  had  no  more  than  thus  spoken  when  there  was 
a  rustling  of  the  stiff  stalks  just  in  front  of  me,  and 
looking  up  quickly  I  saw  the  muzzle  of  a  musket 
within  three  or  four  inches  of  my  face. 

While  standing  like  a  statue  gazing  at  the  metal  tube, 
so  much  surprised  that  it  was  impossible  to  speak,  a 
voice  cried  harshly  :  — 

"  Throw  down  your  weapon,  or  I'll  put  a  bullet 
through  you." 

"We  haven't  any  weapons!"  I  cried;  and  a  great 
simple  I  was  for  having  given  such  information. 

Then  there  came  into  my  mind  the  thought  that  he 
who  had  shouted  must  be  one  of  our  men,  because  it 
was  not  probable  there  were  any  on  the  island  besides 
them  who  spoke  English,  and  I  cried  gleefully  to  Phil : — 

"  Come  on,  lad,  we've  run  upon  our  sailors !  " 

Phil  increased  his  pace  as  much  as  possible,  and  was 
just  at  my  heels  when  I  stepped  out  to  find  myself  con- 


AN  OLD   ENEMY. 


209 


fronted  by  none  other  than  the  lad  who,  I  had  good  rea- 
son for  believing,  was  in  prison  at  Valparaiso — Oliver 
Benson. 

He  stood  there  grinning,  with  musket  at  his  shoulder, 
ready  to  fire  at  the  first  show  of  enmity  from  either  of 
us. 

Phil  was  quite  as  much  astonished  as  I  had  been, 
when  finally  he  came  into  view ;  but  it  was  possible  for 
him  to  speak,  and  he  cried  :  — 

"  Where  did  you  come  from  ?  " 

"  The  last  port  I  left  was  Valparaiso,  where  you  and 
your  friends  spent  so  much  time  lodging  me  in  jail. 
I'm  stopping  on  this  island  just  now  with  the  natives  who 
count  on  wiping  your  folks  out  of  sight  this  afternoon, 
and  I  had  an  idea  that  you  two  young  scoundrels  might 
be  picked  up  in  the  rear  of  the  sailors,  for  I  knew  full 
well  you  wouldn't  be  found  in  front." 

We  stood  gazing  at  him  in  speechless  astonishment, 
and  he,  grinning  as  usual,  seemed  to  enjoy  our  display 
of  cowardice. 

"  Come  up  here  one  at  a  time  and  turn  your  pockets 
inside  out." 

"What's  this  for.?"  I  asked;  but  at  the  same  mo- 
ment taking  good  care  to  obey  promptly. 

"  I  want  to  make  certain  you  haven't  any  weapons." 


2IO  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX. 

"We're  willing  to  give  you  our  word  as  to  that,"  Phil 
said  promptly. 

"  I'd  rather  have  better  proof,"  the  Britisher  replied 
sharply ;  and  in  a  very  few  seconds  we  convinced  him 
of  our  defenceless  condition. 

While  we  were  thus  being  overhauled,  I  asked  myself 
bitterly  how  it  chanced  that  we  had  been  such  idiots  as 
to  leave  camp  without  so  much  as  a  knife  between  us ; 
but  could  find  no  satisfactory  answer  to  the  question. 

When  he  was  convinced  that  we  were  really  without 
weapons,  Benson  laid  the  musket  carefully  down  at  his 
feet  and  drew  a  huge  clasp-knife,  which  he  opened. 

"  Stand  around  here  !  "  he  commanded  sharply,  and, 
as  a  matter  of  course,  we  did  as  we  were  bidden. 

Then  the  fellow  drew  from  his  pocket  a  small  coil  of 
ratline-stuff  with  which  he  proceeded  to  tie  my  left  arm 
to  Phil's  right  one  in  such  a  manner  that  we  could  not 
get  at  the  knots  with  our  free  hands. 

Now  we  were  entirely  in  his  power  and  he  proceeded 
to  get  such  satisfaction  as  was  possible  out  of  the  cap- 
ture. 

"  Look  at  me !  "  he  said  sharply.  "  Did  you  count 
that  there  wouldn't  be  a  day  of  reckoning  when  you 
left  me  in  jail  .<*  " 

"  We  never  thought  anything  about  it,"  I  replied,  my 


AN  OLD   ENEMY.  211 

anger  causing  me  to  appear  bold.  "  You  deserved  pun- 
ishment, and  should  be  behind  the  bars  this  very  mo- 
ment." 

"You  evidently  know  very  little  about  Chilian  jails," 
he  went  on  complacently.  "  Money  will  buy  the  free- 
dom of  any  prisoner  who  is  not  accused  of  murder,  and 
even  such  an  one  has  been  known  to  escape  if  he  could 
show  gold  enough  to  convince  the  keepers.  As  soon 
as  your  miserable  ships  were  out  of  the  harbor,  I  quietly 
walked  away  one  fine  night,  for  I'd  made  enough  selling 
Yankees  to  have  a  very  respectable-sized  hoard  where 
no  one  could  get  at  it  but  myself." 

"  But  how  did  you  chance  to  be  on  this  island } " 
Phil  asked,  curiosity  overcoming  his  fear. 

"  I  took  passage  on  a  craft  bound  to  the  Galapagos 
on  a  trading  voyage.  We  met  heavy  weather,  and  were 
cast  away  here.  Four  came  ashore ;  but  three  have 
been  roasted,  and  I'm  living  on  the  fat  of  the  land, 
having  shown  the  king  of  the  Typees  that  I  can  be  of 
more  service  to  him  alive  than  dead." 

"Then  you  knew  we  were  in  Nukuheva  Bay.?"  I 
stammered,  so  much  surprised  that  I  could  not  speak 
in  proper  fashion. 

"Of  course  I  did,  and  more  than  once  I've  crept 
near  enough  the  shore  to  see  you  lads.     I  made  up  my 


212  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

mind  that  you  would  soon  be  where  I  could  work  off 
old  scores,  and  began  operations  by  advising  the  king 
to  send  that  message  to  Captain  Porter,  knowing  he'd 
come  out.  I  believed  you  two  sneaks  would  be  with 
the  war-party;  but  on  finding  you  had  hung  back, 
like  cowards,  was  on  my  way  to  learn  where  you 
were." 

Having  made  such  explanation  Benson,  who  had 
been  seated  while  we  stood  like  culprits  before  him, 
leaned  back  in  a  more  comfortable  fashion,  surveying 
us  gloatingly. 

**  Well,  what  do  you  propose  doing  with  us  now  that 
the  plan  has  worked  to  your  satisfaction  ? " 

"  I  count  on  waiting  here  till  your  crew  and  the 
Happars  have  been  thoroughly  whipped,  when  I'll  take 
you  into  the  valley  and  see  Typees  roast  you  in  proper 
fashion.  I  know  how  it's  done,  for  I  saw  the  three  who 
came  on  shore  with  me  slaughtered  and  cooked  in  fine 
style.  My  only  trouble  is,  they'll  cut  your  throats  as  if 
you  were  pigs,  and  that's  too  easy  a  death  for  those 
who  did  what  they  could  to  keep  me  in  jail." 

I  had  no  doubt  whatsoever  but  that  the  wretch 
would  do  exactly  as  he  had  said,  and  it  is  not  surprising 
that  I  literally  grew  sick  with  terror. 

Involuntarily  I  glanced  at  Phil.     His  face  was  pallid. 


AN   OLD   ENEMY.  21 3 

and  beadlike  drops  of  perspiration  stood  on  his  fore- 
head, telling  of  the  fear  in  his  heart. 

It  was  reasonable  to  suppose  that  Benson  was  well 
acquainted  with  the  paths  from  one  mountain  to  the 
other,  and  could  readily  keep  out  of  the  way  of  the 
Happar  army,  whether  it  should  be  successful  or  beaten. 
There  appeared  to  be  no  ray  of  hope  for  us ;  but  I  did 
my  poor  best  to  prevent  the  murderous  Britisher  from 
understanding  what  was  in  my  heart. 

Phil  showed  himself  braver  than  was  I,  for  instead  of 
being  forced  to  spend  his  time  trying  to  keep  himself 
from  showing  cowardice,  he  could  afford  to  indulge  in 
anger,  and  he  cried,  bold  as  if  we  were  the  masters 
instead  of  Benson  :  — 

"  It's  a  bad  practice  to  crow  very  loudly  before  you've 
worked  your  will.  We  have  more  friends  on  this  island 
than  you  may  claim ;  and  if  it  so  chances  that  you  can  turn 
us  over  to  the  cannibals,  they  will  make  you  suffer." 

"  If  the  situation  was  different,  my  bantam,  I'd  admit 
that  what  you  say  might  turn  out  true ;  but  your  people 
haven't  any  idea  that  Oliver  Benson  is  anywhere  except 
in  the  jail  at  Valparaiso,  and  will  set  it  all  down  to  the 
account  of  the  Typees.  I  shouldn't  cry  very  much  if  a 
few  hundred  of  them  were  killed  to  pay  for  having 
eaten  you." 


214  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

After  that  we  fell  silent  for  a  time,  Benson  eying  us 
greedily,  as  if  he  had  it  in  mind  to  learn  what  human 
flesh  tasted  like,  and  Phil  and  I  trying  in  vain  to  devise 
some  relief  from  our  troubles. 

There  was  no  way  out,  as  I  speedily  came  to  believe. 
This  vindictive  fellow  could  easily  keep  us  hidden  from 
the  returning  Happars,  and  that  the  Typees  would 
welcome  more  captives  we  knew  full  well. 

When  perhaps  fifteen  minutes  had  passed  and  Benson 
gave  no  sign  of  leaving  this  hiding-place  in  the  stiff 
weeds,  Phil  asked  curtly  :  — 

"  How  much  longer  do  you  count  on  staying  here  ? 
There'll  be  no  chance  of  seeing  us  roasted,  unless  you 
try  a  hand  at  the  cooking,  while  we  are  hidden  in  this 
place." 

"  You  shall  have  a  chance  to  travel  in  due  time,  so 
don't  grow  impatient.  I  reckon  on  staying  here  until 
the  battle  is  over,  and  then  there  won't  be  any  risk,  so 
far  as  I  am  concerned,  in  going  across  the  valley." 

Even  as  he  spoke  I  fancied  it  was  possible  to  hear 
faintly  the  report  of  muskets ;  but  it  might  have  been 
that  my  imagination  played  me  a  trick,  because  I  was 
eager  to  hear  such  sounds  close  at  hand. 

We  remained  standing  in  front  of  Benson,  while  he 
lolled  on»  the  ground  at  his  ease,  until  it  seemed  im- 


AN  OLD   ENEMY.  21$ 

possible  to  remain  on  my  feet  another  second  longer. 
The  work  of  climbing  up  the  mountain  had  brought 
us  almost  to  the  verge  of  exhaustion,  which  was  for- 
gotten for  the  time  being  in  our  fears,  but  now  made 
itself  felt  more  keenly  than  before. 

Save  for  that  of  which  I  have  already  spoken,  not 
a  sound  had  been  heard  to  give  token  that  there  were 
other  human  beings  on  the  island,  and  I  began  to 
believe  that  neither  Happars  nor  Typees  were  within 
many  miles  of  us. 

"  Look  here,  Benson,"  I  finally  said,  speaking  as 
though  he  was  in  my  power  rather  than  I  in  his,  "if 
you  keep  us  standing  here  much  longer  it'll  be  a  case 
of  carrying  us  bodily  to  the  roasting-place,  for  we've 
had  more  of  a  tramp  this  day  than  is  really  good  for 
our  bones." 

"  If  you  so  much  as  move  a  finger,  I'll  shoot  you 
like  curs." 

"  Shoot  and  have  done  with  it ! "  Phil  cried  boldly, 
scuffling  his  feet  and  waving  his  arm  to  provoke  the 
fellow.  "  I  allow  that  it's  within  your  power  to  carry 
us  where  we'll  be  roasted  and  .eaten,  therefore  the 
greatest  favor  you  can  do  is  to  shoot  now  without 
further  parley." 

Having  said  this  Phil  threw  himself  on  the  ground, 


2l6  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

dragging  me  with  him,  and  I  could  have  kissed  the  lad 
for  displaying  so  much  spirit  while  I  was  acting  the 
more  cowardly  part. 

Benson  did  not  shoot,  and  for  two  very  good  reasons : 
first,  he  wanted  to  carry  us  in  as  prisoners  that  he 
might  gain  credit  for  having  captured  two  white  fel- 
lows ;  and  secondly,  because  he  dared  not  discharge  his 
musket,  lest  by  so  doing  he  bring  down  upon  him  a 
party  of  Happars,  or,  perhaps,  some  of  our  own  men. 

I  believe  that  I  would  have  welcomed  death  if  it 
came  in  the  guise  of  a  musket  ball,  so  positive  did  I 
feel  that  we  should  be  delivered  to  the  Typees  within 
a  certain  length  of  time,  when  I  had  good  cause  for 
knowing  what  our  fate  would  be ;  and  I  would  have 
done  anything  within  my  power  to  provoke  him  into 
killing  us  quickly,  even  though  I  was  usually  so  cow- 
ardly when  death  seemed  near  at  hand. 

Strange,  and  almost  extravagant,  as  it  may  seem, 
Phil's  eyes  were  closed  in  slumber  within  a  very  few 
minutes  after  he  was  stretched  at  full  length  upon  the 
ground.  The  dear  lad  was  so  nearly  exhausted  after 
his  long  climb  and  the  subsequent  struggle  with  the 
stiff  yellow  weeds,  that  bodily  fatigue  caused  him  to 
forget  the  danger. 

I,  who  was  probably  less  weary,  could  not  have  lost 


AN   OLD   ENEMY.  21 7 

myself  in  the  unconsciousness  of  slumber  even  though 
my  bed  had  been  the  most  rest-invitii^g  ever  made. 
Death  was  standing  very  near  to  me  at  that  time,  and 
I  believed  the  supreme  moment  must  come  before 
many  hours  had  passed,  for  it  was  not  probable  we 
would  be  aided  by  those  of  our  crew  who  had  gone  to 
fight  the  battles  of  the  friendly  Happars. 

Then,  after  many  moments,  came  a  gleam  of  light 
into  my  mind.  Benson's  eyes  were  beginning  to  grow 
narrow ;  I  saw  his  head  droop  on  his  bosom,  and  he 
roused  up  with  a  start,  thus  showing  that  slumber 
would  be  grateful  to  him.  Then  it  was  that  a  great 
hope  looked  in  at  my  heart. 

If  he  should  be  overcome  by  slumber,  it  was  not  im- 
possible that  Phil  and  I  might  be  able  to  creep  up  on 
him  so  far  as  to  gain  possession  of  the  musket;  and 
once  that  weapon  was  in  our  hands,  we  would  give 
the  villain  a  most  pressing  invitation  to  go  with  us  to 
where  he  could  have  a  second  interview  with  Captain 
Porter. 

I  watched  him  as  a  cat  watches  a  mouse,  literally 
holding  my  breath  in  suspense,  and  ready  to  take  any 
chance,  however  desperate,  when  the  opportunity  should 
come. 


CHAPTER   X. 

AMONG   THE  TYPEES. 

THEN,  when  I  was  praying  most  fervently  that 
sleep  would  overpower  him,  his  head  drooped 
lower  and  lower  until  I  understood  that  the  chains  of 
slumber  had  bound  him  for  a  certain  time  at  least. 

It  was  most  unfortunate  that  Phil  was  also  asleep.  I 
tugged  gently  at  his  arm,  not  daring  to  make  any  move- 
ment which  would  result  in  the  slightest  noise;  but 
without  arousing  him.  Had  his  eyes  been  open  as 
wide  as  were  mine,  I  venture  to  say  that  without  a  per- 
adventure  we  might  have  succeeded  in  gaining  our 
freedom. 

As  it  was,  however,  it  became  necessary  to  awaken 
him,  regardless  of  the  possibility  that  Benson  might 
take  alarm,  and  I  pressed  my  free  hand  over  his  mouth 
while  I  prodded  him  vigorously  with  my  shoulder. 

Even  such  a  violent  effort  as  this  failed  of  its  purpose 
until  after  three  or  four  precious  moments  had  elapsed, 
and  then  he  stared  up  into  my  face  inquiringly  :  — 

218 


AMONG  THE  TYPEES.  219 

Softly  as  possible  I  whispered  in  his  ear :  — 

"  Benson  is  asleep ;  by  leaping  upon  him  suddenly 
we  should  be  able  to  get  the  upper  hands,  bound  though 
we  are." 

Now  he  understood  what  I  would  have  him  do,  and 
motioned  that  he  was  ready  for  any  venture. 

Together  we  worked  our  way  toward  the  sleeping 
Britisher.  It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  we  two,  fet- 
tered as  we  were,  could  move  without  making  some 
noise;  but  yet  we  advanced  with  reasonable  stillness 
until  arriving  within  two  feet  of  Benson. 

It  was  my  idea  that  we  throw  ourselves  upon  him, 
pinning  the  villain  where  he  lay,  with  the  chance  that 
during  the  struggle  one  or  the  other  of  us  lads  might 
gain  possession  of  the  musket. 

There  was  no  time  to  decide  upon  any  combined 
course  of  action,  for  it  would  have  been  in  the  highest 
degree  dangerous  had  we  attempted  to  carry  on  a  whis- 
pered conversation  just  then. 

We  rose  to  our  feet  softly;  but  were  hardly  more 
than  standing  erect  when  Benson  leaped  up  as  if  he 
had  been  watching  from  under  his  eyelids,  and  in  a 
twinkling  struck  me  down  with  the  butt  of  his  musket. 

Phil  would  most  likely  have  been  treated  to  the  same 
kind  of  a  dose ;  but,  as  a  matter  of  course,  he  fell  when 


220  WITH    PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

I  did,  or,  rather,  was  dragged  down  by  me,  and  the 
Britisher  stood  over  us  with  a  grin  of  satisfaction. 

"  Thought  to  get  the  best  of  me,  eh  ?  "  he  asked  in  a 
loud  voice.  "  Do  you  two  lads  think  I'm  to  be  done  up 
like  a  lamb.?" 

Then  he  began  kicking  us,  helpless  though  we  were, 
and  I  believed  that  more  than  one  of  our  bones  would  be 
broken  before  he  came  to  an  end  of  such  amusement. 

We  endured  the  punishment  in  silence,  for  it  would 
have  afforded  him  too  much  satisfaction  had  we  cried 
aloud  with  pain,  and  not  until  he  was  wearied  with  the 
exertion  did  he  cease. 

"  You're  going  into  the  valley  of  the  Typees,  my  fine 
birds,  kick  against  it  as  you  may ;  and  I  shall  see  you 
roasted  and  eaten  before  eight  and  forty  hours  have 
passed ! " 

Phil  was  about  to  make  an  angry  reply;  but  I 
prodded  him  with  my  shoulder  as  token  that  he  remain 
silent,  for  it  was  giving  this  brute  too  much  pleasure  to 
bandy  words  with  him. 

Now  that  our  attempt  at  escape  had  failed,  there  was 
no  doubt  in  my  mind  but  that  what  he  said  would  come 
true,  and  I  bent  all  my  energies  to  appearing  uncon- 
cerned ;  but  fearing  meanwhile  that  at  the  supreme 
moment  I  should  give  evidence  of  the  cowardice  in  my 
heart. 


AMONG  THE  TYPEES.  221 

Benson  knew,  of  course,  that  he  had  fallen  asleep,  and 
most  likely  had  no  idea  of  how  long  a  time  he  remained 
unconscious.  He  must  have  believed  that  the  nap 
lasted  quite  a  while,  for  now  he  began  hurriedly,  after 
having  berated  us  to  his  heart's  content,  to  look  about 
with  a  view  to  continuing  the  journey. 

He  forced  us  to  remain  perfectly  quiet,  threatening 
to  fell  us  with  his  musket  if  we  made  any  noise,  while 
he  listened  for  some  token  of  friend  or  foe. 

No  sound  was  heard ;  it  seemed  as  if  we,  among  all 
the  inhabitants  of  the  island,  were  the  only  ones  upon 
the   mountain. 

"I  reckon  we'll  move  ahead,"  he  said  at  length. 
"  You  two  cubs  are  to  march  in  front  of  me ;  and  if 
you  try  to  kick  up  any  bobbery,  I'll  put  a  stop  to  it 
by  a  blow  over  the  head,  —  such  as  won't  kill  outright, 
but  will  give  a  good  idea  of  what's  to  follow.  Step 
out  now,  and  don't  dare  to  shout!  It  won't  do  you 
any  good,  and  will  cost  a  lot  of  trouble." 

We  obeyed ;  what  else  was  there  for  us  to  do  ?  My 
head  was  humming  like  a  top  from  the  effects  of  the 
blow  he  had  already  delivered,  and  I  knew  full  well 
he  would  not  hesitate  to  maltreat  us  in  any  way 
which  came  to  his  evil  mind. 

After  we  had  marched  straight  ahead  for  half   an 


222  WITH    PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

hour  over  a  trail  which  led  first  up  and  then  down  a 
stiff  slope,  we  heard  sounds  of  triumph  and  joyful 
songs  from  what  appeared  to  be  a  large  party  three 
or  four  hundred  yards  to  the  left  of  us. 

Benson  stopped  suddenly,  listened  an  instant,  and 
then  a  look  of  perplexity  came  over  his  face,  the  rea- 
son for  which  I  could  not  so  much  as  guess. 

When  the  noise  had  died  away  in  the  distance, 
those  who  made  it  being  apparently  on  their  way  to 
the  bay,  Benson  ordered  us  forward  once  more ;  but 
he  had  lost  his  confident  bearing,  and  seemed  to  be 
studying  deeply  over  some  vexing  problem. 

He  continued  in  such  mood  until  we  arrived  at  what 
had  evidently  been  at  some  time  a  flourishing  village, 
but  was  now  only  a  smoking  ruin. 

Phil  and  I  glanced  at  each  other  in  triumph.  Now 
we  understood  why  Benson  was  perplexed.  He  had 
recognized  the  shouts  of  triumph  as  coming  from  the 
Happars  instead  of  the  Typees,  and  began  to  believe 
his  friends  had  lost  the  battle.  Until  that  moment  he 
was  confident  the  Typees  could  vanquish  any  force 
sent  against  them,  and  that  the  fact  had  thus  been 
disproved,  probably  worried  him. 

I  was  at  a  loss  to  understand  whether  this  might 
work  to  our  benefit  or  injury ;  but  for  the  time  being 


AMONG  THE  TYPEES.  223 

it  pleased  me  that  Benson  was  not  getting  along  as 
swimmingly  as  he  fancied  when  we  first  ran  so  un- 
luckily upon  him. 

The  Britisher  stood  facing  the  ruins  for  an  instant 
as  if  at  a  loss  to  know  what  course  to  pursue,  and 
then  he  bade  us  march  ahead  of  him  up  a  narrow 
path  which  led  to  the  right  through  a  dense  thicket. 

We  travelled  at  a  smart  pace. for  fifteen  or  twenty 
minutes,  and  then  were  come  to  a  dwelHng,  unoccu- 
pied, which  Benson  entered  without  hesitation  and 
with  evident  relief  of  mind. 

This  same  house  has  been  described  by  another, 
and  I  can  do  no  better  than  give  his  exact  words  in 
picturing  it:  — 

"About  midway  up  the  ascent  of  a  rather  abrupt 
rise  of  ground  waving  with  richest  verdure,  a  number 
of  large  stones  were  laid  in  successive  courses  to  the 
height  of  nearly  eight  feet,  and  disposed  in  such  a 
manner  that  their  level  surface  corresponded  in  shape 
with  the  habitation  which  was  perched  upon  it. 

"  A  narrow  space,  however,  was  reserved  in  front  of 
the  dwelling,  upon  the  summit  of  this  pile  of  stones 
(called  by  the  natives  a  *  pi-pi'),  which,  being  enclosed 
by  a  little  picket  of  canes  gave  it  somewhat  the  ap- 
pearance of  a  veranda. 


224  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX. 

"The  frame  of  the  house  was  constructed  of  large 
bamboos  planted  uprightly,  and  secured  together  at 
intervals  by  transverse  stalks  of  the  light  wood  of  the 
hibiscus,  lashed  with  thongs  of  bark.  The  rear  of  the 
tenement  —  built  up  with  successive  ranges  of  cocoa- 
nut  boughs  bound  one  upon  another,  with  their  leaf- 
lets cunningly  woven  together  —  inclined  a  little  from 
the  vertical,  and  extended  from  the  extreme  edge  of 
the  *  pi-pi '  to  about  twenty  feet  from  its  surface ; 
whence  the  shelving  roof  —  thatched  with  the  long, 
tapering  leaves  of  the  palmetto  —  sloped  steeply  off 
to  within  about  five  feet  of  the  floor ;  leaving  the 
eaves  drooping  with  tassel-like  appendages  from  the 
front  of  the  habitation. 

"This  dwelling  was  constructed  of  light  and  ele- 
gant canes,  in  a  kind  of  open  screen-work,  tastefully 
adorned  with  bindings  of  variegated  sinuate,  which 
served  to  hold  together  its  various  parts.  The  sides 
of  the"  house  were  similarly  built;  thus  presenting 
three-quarters  for  the  circulation  of  the  air,  while  the 
whole  was  impervious  to  the  rain. 

"  In  length  this  picturesque  building  was  perhaps 
twelve  yards,  while  in  breadth  it  could  not  have  ex- 
ceeded as  many  feet. 

"  Stooping  a  little,  you  passed  through  a  narrow  aper- 


AMONG  THE  TYPEES.  22$ 

ture  in  its  front;  and  facing  you  on  entering  lay  two 
long,  perfectly  straight,  and  well  polished  trunks  of  the 
cocoanut  tree,  extending  the  full  length  of  the  dwelling, 
one  of  them  placed  closely  against  the  rear,  and  the 
other  lying  parallel  with  it  some  two  yards  distant,  the 
interval  between  them  being  spread  with  a  multitude  of 
gayly  worked  mats,  nearly  all  of  a  different  pattern. 
This  space  formed  the  common  couch  and  lounging 
place  of  the  natives,  answering  the  purpose  of  a  divan 
in  Oriental  countries.  Here  they  would  slumber  through 
the  hours  of  the  night  and  recline  luxuriously  during  the 
greater  part  of  the  day.  The  remainder  of  the  floor 
presented  only  the  cool,  shining  surfaces  of  the  large 
stones  of  which  the  '  pi-pi '  was  composed. 

"  From  the  ridge-pole  of  the  house  hung  suspended 
a  number  of  large  packages  enveloped  in  coarse  tappa  ; 
some  of  which  contained  festival  dresses  and  various 
other  matters  of  the  wardrobe  held  in  high  estimation. 
These  were  easily  accessible  by  means  of  a  line  which, 
passing  over  the  ridge-pole,  had  one  end  attached  to  a 
bundle,  while  with  the  other,  which  led  to  the  side  of 
the  dwelling  and  was  there  secured,  the  package  could 
be  lowered  or  elevated  at  pleasure. 

"  Against  the  farther  wall  of  the  house  were  arranged 
in  tasteful  figures  a  variety  of  spears  and  javelins  and 


226  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

other  implements  of  savage  warfare.  Outside  of  the 
habitation,  and  built  upon  the  piazza-like  area  in  its 
front,  was  a  little  shed  used  as  a  sort  of  larder  or  pan- 
try, and  in  which  were  stored  various  articles  of  domes- 
tic use  and  convenience.  A  few  yards  from  the  *  pi-pi ' 
was  a  large  shed  built  of  cocoanut  boughs,  where  the 
process  of  preparing  the  *peoo-peoo'  was  carried  on  and 
all  culinary  operations  attended  to." 

Such  is  a  good  picture  of  the  dwelling  which  Benson 
entered,  we  walking  ahead  according  to  his  orders ;  and 
here  he  appeared  to  be  perfectly  at  home. 

I  fancied  that  he  was  somewhat  surprised  because 
there  was  no  one  to  greet  him ;  but  he  made  himself 
comfortable  by  lying  stretched  out  on  the  divan  at  full 
length,  while  we  two  lads  were  ordered  to  make  a  rest- 
ing-place of  the  stone  floor. 

My  first  glance  fell  upon  the  collection  of  weapons, 
and  I  must  have  been  eying  it  eagerly,  for  the  Brit- 
isher said  threateningly :  — 

"  Thinking  that  if  you  could  get  hold  of  them  I  might 
have  the  worst  of  it,  eh  ?  Well,  don't  you  dare  so  much 
as  move,  else  I'll  knock  in  the  whole  top  of  your  head!" 

To  this  threat  we  made  no  reply,  for  it  was  useless  to 
bandy  words  with  the  fellow,  who  held  us  securely  in  his 
power.     We  were  so  weary  that  even  the  smooth  side 


AMONG  THE  TYPEES.  227 

of  a  stone  seemed  rest-inviting,  and,  despite  our  dan- 
ger, enjoyed  this  being  able  to  stretch  out  at  full  length 
on  our  backs. 

At  that  moment,  sore  in  both  body  and  mind,  I  would 
have  welcomed  the  assurance  that  we  were  to  remain 
here  undisturbed  until  another  morning  had  come.  But 
it  seemed  as  if  we  had  no  more  than  settled  ourselves 
down  as  well  as  the  rope  on  our  arms  would  permit, 
than  the  head  of  a  native  appeared  from  around  the 
corner  of  the  building;  and  after  satisfying  himself  that 
there  were  no  enemies  to  be  feared,  the  owner  of  the 
head  entered,  followed  by  no  less  than  ten  men,  all  of 
whom  appeared  to  have  been  having  a  rough-and-tum- 
ble fight. 

Benson,  without  troubling  himself  to  rise,  said  some- 
thing to  the  leader  in  the  party ;  and  because  he  pointed 
at  us  from  time  to  time,  both  Phil  and  I  believed  he  was 
giving  an  account  of  our  capture. 

I  was  literally  shaking  with  fear,  fancying  we  would 
immediately  be  taken  out  and  eaten ;  but,  greatly  to  my 
surprise,  all  the  men  seemed  to  be  angry  with  Benson. 

He  talked  to  them  sharply  for  an  instant,  and  was 
replied  to  in  such  fashion  that  I  understood  the  villain 
was  alarmed,  for  he  arose  with  a  certain  degree  of  hu- 
mility, and  began  making  a  long  speech. 


228  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

Before  this  was  ended  a  large  crowd  came  in,  fill- 
ing the  building  to  its  utmost  capacity,  and  Phil 
whispered  to  me  :  — 

"  It  seems  as  if  every  man,  woman,  and  boy  had 
some  cause  for  complaint  against  the  Britisher,  and 
there's  no  question  but  that  he's  feeling  uncomfort- 
able in  mind.  I  wonder  why  they  don't  set  about 
roasting  us  .-^ " 

"  I  reckon  Benson  has  done  something  they  don't 
like,  and  he'll  be  hauled  over  the  coals  before  any- 
thing is  done  with  us,"  and  as  I  spoke  a  faint  hope 
sprang  up  in  my  heart,  although  I  could  not  under- 
stand that  there  was  any  reason  for  it. 

The  Britisher  talked  for  more  than  ten  minutes,  the 
Typees  listening  to  him  most  intently;  but  no  sooner 
had  he  come  to  an  end  than  the  man  who  entered 
first  —  he  to  whom  I  believed  the  dwelling  belonged 
—  began  to  question  Benson  angrily,  and  before  he  was 
come  to  an  end  every  man  present  was  speaking. 

Then,  when  the  uproar  was  greatest,  one  of  the 
party  cut  the  bonds  which  bound  Phil  and  me,  indi- 
cating by  gestures  that  we  were  to  recline  on  the 
couch  just  vacated  by  the  Britisher. 

This  was  indeed  a  startling  reception,  as  compared 
with    what    we    had    anticipated,    and    Qur    surprise 


AMONG  THE  TYPEES.  229 

amounted  almost  to  bewilderment  when  another  of 
the  party  brought  us  a  young  cocoanut  with  the  top 
removed  that  we  might  drink  the  milk,  while  a  third 
and  fourth  offered  fruit  which  they  laid  before  us  on 
the  divan. 

While  we  were  thus  being  treated  as  honored 
guests,  the  majority  of  the  party  were  evidently 
scolding    Benson   with    many   a   menacing   gesture. 

**  He's  got  himself  into  trouble  somehow,"  Phil  said 
with  a  chuckle  of  content,  "and  we  seem  to  be  get- 
ting the  best  of  this  party.  Talk  about  your  canni- 
bals !  Why,  these  people  couldn't  treat  us  any  better 
if  they  were  missionaries  !  " 

Presently  Benson  seemed  to  have  lost  his  temper, 
and,  after  loud  words,  attempted  to  stalk  out  of  the 
building  with  his  musket  under  his  arm. 

Before  one  would  have  had  time  to  wink,  the  Brit- 
isher was  lying  on  the  stones  of  the  pi-pi,  and  the  chief 
man  of  the  party  was  in  possession  of  the  gun. 

It  was  a  most  startling  transformation,  and  Benson 
appeared  quite  as  surprised  as  Phil  and  I ;  but  instead 
of  showing  fight  he  rose  to  a  sitting  posture,  where 
he  remained  as  meek  as  any  lamb,  evidently  satisfied 
that  it  would  not  be  well  for  him  to  make  further 
move  toward  leaving  the  building. 


230  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE  ESSEX. 

With  the  Britisher  thus  disposed  of,  there  was  a 
tremendous  lot  of  jawing  done  by  the  men,  and  at 
short  intervals  other  parties  came  up,  the  greater 
number  looking  as  if  they  had  been  running,  until 
it  seemed  as  if  we  had  near  us  the  entire  population 
of  the  town  which  had  been  destroyed. 

Puzzle  our  brains  as  we  might,  Phil  and  I  were 
wholly  at  a  loss  to  understand  the  meaning  of  what 
was  going  on  around  us ;  but  were  perfectly  satis- 
fied with  the  position  of  affairs  so  far  as  we  were 
concerned. 

But  for  the  knowledge  that  Benson  was  treated  so 
roughly,  I  should  have  thought  that  we  were  being 
fed  up  in  order  to  get  us  in  a  better  condition  for 
roasting;  but  it  had  been  shown  that  he  was  in  dis- 
grace, and  no  one  could  have  mistaken  the  fact  that 
they  wished  us  to  look  upon  them  as  our  very  friendly 
hosts. 

Finally  there  was  a  great  commotion  outside  and 
an  old  man  appeared,  showing  by  his  manner  as  well 
as  his  costume  that  he  was  higher  in  authority  than 
any  of  those  around  him. 

The  owner  of  the  dwelling  now  began  to  tell  him 
about  our  having  been  taken  prisoners,  as  we  could 
understand   from   the   gestures ;    and    when   the   story 


AMONG   THE  TYPEES.  23 1 

was  come  to  an  end,  some  order  was  given  the  Brit- 
isher, who  came  to  his  feet  all  standing. 

The  chief  man  —  he  may  have  been  the  king,  for 
all  I  know  —  seemed  to  be  giving  Benson  a  severe 
rating;  and  when  he  had  come  to  an  end,  our  enemy 
approached  us  so  sweetly  that  butter  wouldn't  have 
melted  in  his  mouth.  It  was  difficult  then  to  realize 
that  he  was  the  same  villain  who  had  promised  we 
should  be  roasted  and  eaten. 

"  You  lads  are  to  be  taken  to  Nukuheva  Bay,  if  you 
feel  able  to  walk  so  far  before  resting,"  he  said  without 
raising  his  eyes. 

"  Nukuheva  Bay ! "  I  repeated  in  astonishment. 
**  Do  you  mean  that  the  Typees  no  longer  intend  to 
serve  us  up  as  a  roast  ? "  and  a  gUmmer  of  the  truth 
now  flashed  across  my  mind. 

"  The  Typees  are  your  friends." 

"  Then  how  does  it  happen  you  reckoned  so  confi- 
dently on  our  being  killed .?"  I  asked,  grown  bolder  now 
the  danger  appeared  to  be  over. 

"The  Yankees  have  beaten  them  in  the  battle  which 
was  fought  this  forenoon,  and  you  are  to  be  sent  back 
as  a  peace  offering,"  Benson  said  meekly ;  but  it  must 
have  cost  him  an  effort  to  admit  the  truth  of  the  matter. 

"  And  what  about  you }  "  Phil  asked  curiously. 


232  WITH    PORTER   IN  THE  ESSEX. 

*'  I  am  in  more  danger  than  since  the  first  hour  after 
being  cast  ashore,  when  my  companions  were  being 
killed.  If  the  battle  had  gone  in  the  Typees'  favor, 
then  I  should  have  been  praised  for  bringing  you  in ; 
but  now  they  make  a  scapegoat  of  me,  and  I  stand  a 
good  chance  of  being  roasted  myself  before  this  scrape 
is  over." 

The  fellow  really  believed  what  he  said,  and  I  could 
not  keep  down  a  feeling  of  pity  for  him ;  but  Phil  was 
less  soft-hearted,  and  said  quickly :  — 

*'  I  think  it  will  be  a  very  nice  ending,  Master  Ben- 
son. When  you  have  satisfied  the  hunger  of  these 
natives,  you  will  probably  have  done  the  first  really 
good  deed  of  your  life.  Besides,  it  will  save  you  from 
being  hanged." 

That  Benson  was  thoroughly  cowed  and  terrified 
could  be  told  from  the  fact  that  he  made  no  reply  to 
this  cruel  speech,  and  my  pity  for  him  increased, 
although  it  is  doubtful  if  I  would  have  saved  him  had 
it  been  in  my  power,  unless  I  knew  for  a  certainty  that 
he  would  be  sent  immediately  to  a  prison  from  which 
he  could  not  escape. 

The  Britisher  stood  before  us  silently  until  one  of  the 
men  prodded  him  with  a  sharp  point  of  a  knife,  and  he 
asked  humbly :  — 


AMONG  THE  TYPEES.  233 

"  Are  you  ready  to  go  back  to  Nukuheva  Bay  now, 
or  would  you  like  to  rest  a  while  longer  ? " 

**  We'll  go  now,"  I  replied  quickly,  thinking  it  wisest 
to  take  the  Typees  while  they  were  in  the  humor,  lest 
they  should  suddenly  come  to  believe  that  more  might 
be  gained  by  holding  us  prisoners ;  and  Phil  nodded 
his  head  to  show  that  he  was  quite  in  my  way  of 
thinking. 

No  sooner  had  Benson  repeated  the  words  than  two 
men  stepped  forward,  and  the  Britisher  explained  that 
they  would  act  as  our  guides  during  the  journey. 

"  Won't  you  do  good  for  evil  by  telling  Captain  Por- 
ter that  a  white  man  is  here  in  great  danger  of  being 
killed?"  he  asked  piteously.  "Whatever  your  com- 
mander asks  now;  will  be  granted ;  and  if  he  sends  back 
such  request  by  those  who  conduct  you,  I  shall  be  saved." 

"  You  would  be  brought  to  Nukuheva  Bay,  and  once 
there  our  captain  would  make  you  close  prisoner." 

"  I  care  not  what  he  does,  so  that  I  am  saved  from 
these  cannibals." 

"  An  hour  ago  they  were  your  very  good  friends ; 
but  now  you  are  howling  to  be  taken  from  them,"  Phil 
suggested. 

"They  were  my  friends,  and  would  be  now  but  for 
the  fact  that  I  advised  them  to  make  war  against  the 


234  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE  ESSEX. 

Yankees  and  the  Happars,  assuring  them  they  would 
whip  the  whole  boiling  in  a  twinkling." 

"  And  now,  after  trying  not  only  to  have  us  killed, 
but  to  bring  about  the  death  of  all  hands,  you  coax 
us  to  save  your  miserable  life ! "  Phil  cried  angrily, 
whereat  half  a  dozen  pairs  of  hands  were  stretched  out, 
pulling  the  Britisher  violently  backward  until  he  fell 
with  a  thud  on  the  stones  of  the  pi-pi. 

Phil  and  I  rose  to  our  feet,  although  feeling  mighty 
sore  in  the  joints,  and  the  throng  separated  in  a 
friendly  fashion  to  give  us  passage. 

As  we  walked  out  of  the  building  Benson  cried  pite- 
ously  on  us  to  do  what  we  could  to  persuade  the  cap- 
tain into  demanding  his  release ;  and  the  last  sound  we 
heard  on  leaving  the  dwelling  where  we  had  fully 
expected  to  meet  death  in  a  most  horrible  form,  was  his 
prayers  that  we  would  be  merciful. 

The  whole  change  in  affairs  was  rather  perplexing, 
despite  the  brief  explanation  made  by  Benson;  but  at 
the  time  we  gave  very  little  heed  to  our  ignorance, 
because  of  the  fact  that  we  were  comparatively  free 
once  more. 

If  I  have  set  down  but  few  words  concerning  our 
feelings  while  we  were  prisoners,  and  afterward  when 
walking  rapidly  toward  Nukuheva  Bay,  it  is  because  I 


AMONG  THE  TYPEES.  235 

cannot  even  make  a  beginning  at  describing  our  condi- 
tion of  mind.  To  be  at  one  moment  the  most  miser- 
able of  human  beings,  and  in  another  freed  from  all 
troubles,  is  such  a  wonderful  change  that  words  fail 
of  picturing  it. 

The  Typees  who  conducted  us  were  not  disposed 
to  delay  on  the  journey,  although  again  and  again 
they  asked  by  gestures  if  we  would  like  to  rest  a 
while,  and  to  each  of  these  questions  in  turn  we  shook 
our  heads  most  decidedly.  I  had  no  desire  for  rest, 
wearied  though  I  was,  when  a  couple  of  cannibals 
were  to  stand  watch  over  us.  The  sooner  I  was  out  of 
such  company  the  better  pleased  should  I  be. 

There  is  no  reason  for  making  an  overly  long  story 
of  our  tramp  across  the  mountains,  for  it  would  be 
repeating  over  and  over  an  account  of  our  great  fatigue 
—  fatigue  which  could  not  have  been  borne,  I  believe, 
under  less  dangerous  circumstances. 

Not  until  late  in  the  evening  did  we  come  within 
hailing  distance  of  the  Happar  village  near  the  shore 
of  the  bay,  and  then  our  guides  told  us  by  gestures 
that  we  must  lead  the  way.  They  evidently  did  not 
care  to  take  the  chances  of  advancing  boldly  into  the 
settlement  while  all  hands  were  celebrating  the  victory 
which  had  been  won  that  day. 


236  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE  ESSEX. 


Neither  Phil  nor  I  felt  any  too  secure  about  sud- 
denly appearing  before  the  Happars,  and  instead  of  en- 
tering the  village,  we  stood  on  the  outskirts  shouting 
"  Essex  ahoy ! "  at  the  full  strength  of  our  lungs. 

More  than  fifteen  minutes  was  spent  in  this  effort  to 
summon  our  shipmates  before  the  cries  were  answered, 
and  then  who  should  suddenly  appear  before  us  but 
Master  Hackett! 

I  fancied  he  would  greet  us  affectionately  after  all 
the  dangers  we  had  encountered;  but  in  this  I  was 
mistaken. 

''Well,  have  you  two  infants  got  enough  of  sky- 
larkin'  ? "  he  asked  in  a  severe  tone,  and  Phil  cried :  — 

"  Skylarking !  If  you  have  any  idea  we've  been 
enjoying  ourselves,  it  would  please  me  well  for  you  to 
have  a  turn  at  such  fun." 

"  Don't  wag  your  tongues  about  nothin* ;  but  tell  me 
where  you've  been,  an'  what  you  count  on  doin'  with 
them  niggers." 

We  made  a  short  story  of  our  adventures,  for  we 
were  so  nearly  exhausted  that  it  seemed  impossible  we 
could  remain  on  our  feet  another  moment;  but  the 
time  had  not  yet  come  when  we  might  indulge  in 
rest. 

"  You're  to  go  aboard  that  the  captain  may  speak 


AMONG  THE  TYPEES.  23/ 

with  you,  an'  I  reckon  them  two  fellers  had  better  keep 
close  behind." 

"  Can't  we  speak  with  the  captain  in  the  morning  ?  " 
I  asked,  hoping  to  be  allowed  a  long  trick  below  in 
my  hammock. 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it.  After  givin'  us  all  to  understand 
that  you'd  come  to  grief,  an'  bein'  the  means  of  havin' 
half  a  dozen  men  trampin'  over  these  bloomin'  moun- 
tains in  search  of  you,  the  least  to  be  done  is  to  make 
a  report  in  proper  shape." 

Without  further  protest  we  followed  the  old  sailor, 
our  Typee  guards  keeping  close  behind  us,  and  as  we 
walked  toward  the  shore  I  asked  Master  Hackett  for 
an  account  of  the  day's  doings. 

"There  ain't  much  of  a  yarn  to  it,"  he  replied  laugh- 
ingly. "  Our  men  did  the  most  of  the  business,  an' 
might  have  worked  the  traverse  alone,  accordin'  to  all 
accounts.  They  marched  over  the  mountains,  drivin' 
the  Typees  before  'em,  until  comin'  to  a  kind  of  fort, 
where  it's  said  no  less  than  four  thousand  of  the  nig- 
gers made  a  stand.  Then  the  Yankees  an'  the 
6-pounder  got  in  their  work.  It  wasn't  any  great 
shakes  of  a  battle,  'cause  it  was  so  soon  over.  We 
drove  'em  right  an'  left,  an'  wound  up  the  business  by 
pullin'  the  fort  apart.     I  reckon  all  the  natives  on  this 


238  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

'ere  island  think  we're  the  toughest  fighters  they  ever 
struck.  Our  people  came  in  about  three  o'clock,  an' 
since  then  we've  had  visits  from  this  gang  an'  that,  all 
claimin'  to  be  our  best  friends.  When  them  as  have 
been  sent  out  to  search  for  you  get  back,  they'll  be 
feelin'  sore  'cause  a  couple  of  worthless  infants  have 
caused  'em  so  much  hard  labor." 

Then  it  was  that  I  thought  of  Benson's  prayers 
and  entreaties  until  my  heart  grew  soft,  and  I  asked 
Master  Hackett  if  he  believed  the  captain  would  do 
anything  toward  saving  his  worthless  life. 

"  I  allow  he  will,  lad,  though  it  seems  like  a  waste 
of  good  breath  to  spend  it  talkin'  about  him.  Even 
though  we  are  at  war  with  the  Britishers,  we  can't 
let  one  of  'em  be  roasted  an'  ate  up  like  a  pig;  but 
I'll  guarantee  the  captain  will  keep  the  brute  care- 
fully caged  till  we  can  put  him  into  a  stronger  prison 
than  is  to  be  found  in  Chili." 

"And  you  believe  we  should  say  anything  about 
it  to  Captain  Porter,  after  Benson  did  his  best  to  have 
us  roasted  and  eaten } "  Phil  asked  sharply. 

"  I  do  for  a  fact,  lad.  Just  at  present  you're  hot 
against  him ;  but  in  a  month  from  now  you'd  be 
eatin'  your  heart  out  if  you'd  held  your  tongue  when 
he  might  'er  been  saved." 


AMONG  THE  TYPEES.  239 

We  ceased  talking  of  Benson  after  this,  and  Master 
Hackett  regaled  us  with  stories  of  the  battle  which 
he  had  got  from  those  of  our  people  who  took  part 
in  it,  until  we  were  on  board  the  ship  in  Captain 
Porter's  cabin. 

"  Tell  me  all  you  have  done  and  seen  this  day,"  the 
captain  said  when  Master  Hackett,  with  many  a  flour- 
ish and  tug  at  his  hair,  reported  having  found  us  and 
our  guides. 

We  obeyed  the  command,  he  interrupting  us  with 
questions  from  time  to  time,  and  then  Mr.  Maury 
was  summoned  that  he  might  act  as  interpreter  for  the 
Typees. 

This  ended  the  interview  so  far  as  we  were  con- 
cerned, for  Master  Hackett  dragged  us  backward  out 
of  the  cabin,  leaving  the  two  savages  looking  around 
very  suspiciously. 

We  had  repeated  Benson's  request,  and  stated  as 
our  belief  that  he  would  speedily  be  killed  and  eaten 
unless  a  demand  was  made  that  he  be  brought  on 
board  the  ship ;  but  to  all  this  the  captain  gave  no 
reply,  and  we  left  the  cabin  uncertain  as  to  whether 
the  Britisher  would  be  rescued,  or  left  to  take  the 
punishment  he  had  brought  upon  himself  through  try- 
ing to  do  the  Yankees  a  mischief. 


240  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE  ESSEX. 

"Why  didn't  you  let  us  stay  and  hear  what  was 
said  ? "  Phil  asked  angrily  of  Master  Hackett  when 
we  were  outside. 

"  Because  he'd  got  through  with  you.  Are  you 
thinkin'  a  couple  of  troublesome  infants  like  you  can 
loiter  around  in  the  after  cabin  at  your  own  sweet 
will .? " 

"We  might  at  least  have  stayed  until  Captain  Por- 
ter told  us  to  go,"  Phil  retorted  in  an  injured  tone. 

"That's  exactly  what  he  did  do  when  he  nodded 
to  me.  It  was  jest  the  same  as  if  he'd  said,  *Take 
'em  away,'  an'  I  did  it  to  save  you  from  a  wiggin' 
such  as  our  captain  can  give  a  man  with  more  vim 
than  I  ever  heard  put  into  it  by  any  one  else." 

I  was  not  quite  certain  that  Master  Hackett  had 
received  such  a  signal ;  but  it  was  too  late  now  to 
repair  the  mischief,  and  we  went  below  ready  for  our 
hammocks,  as  you  can  well  believe. 

Never  before  had  I  even  fancied  that  a  sailor's  bed 
was  soft ;  but  on  this  night  I  had  been  inside  of  it 
no  more  than  two  minutes  before  I  was  snoring  like 
a  top. 


CHAPTER   XI. 

A  NAVAL   STATION. 

NEXT  morning  at  sunrise  Phil  and  I  were  routed  out 
by  the  cry  of  "  All  hands  ahoy !  "  and  if  we  had 
expected  to  be  received  with  open  arms  and  by  our 
shipmates'  congratulations  on  a  narrow  escape  from 
death,  we  would  have  been  most  wofully  mistaken. 

Many  of  the  crew,  including  those  who  had  been 
forced  to  roam  over  the  mountains  in  search  of  us, 
believed  we  should  be  brought  up  for  punishment 
because  of  having  left  the  encampment  during  hos- 
tilities without  orders  or  permission ;  and  those  who 
held  to  it  that  there  was  no  reason,  in  the  absence  of 
orders  to  the  contrary,  why  we  were  not  allowed  to 
move  around  at  will,  blamed  us  severely  for  being  such 
fools  as  to  run  blindly  into  the  arms  of  an  enemy. 

Thus  it  was  that,  in  one  way  or  another,  we  had 
earned  a  reproof  from  all  our  comrades;  and  it  was 
administered  by  their  silence  or  severe  looks  when 
we  made  our  appearance  beUeving  a  warm  reception 
awaited  us. 

241 


242  WITH    PORTER   IN   THE   ESSEX. 

Even  Master  Hackett  glanced  at  us  reproachfully 
for  a  time ;  but  he  grew  more  friendly  as  the  forenoon 
wore  on,  and  then  we  ventured  to  ask  if  he  knew 
what  Captain  Porter  had  done  in  regard  to  Benson's 
appeal  for  aid. 

"  The  two  natives  stayed  aboard  all  night,  an'  were 
set  ashore  less  than  half  an  hour  before  you  turned 
out.  Of  course  I  don't  know  what  orders  our  captain 
gave  them ;  but  I'll  wager  a  doughnut  against  a  dollar 
that  they'll  be  here  again,  bringin'  the  Britisher  with 
'em,  if  it  so  be  he's  yet  alive,  before  sunset." 

"  What  will  the  men  say  to  being  thus  careful  of  a 
man  who  admits  having  madfe  a  business  of  trapping 
Yankee  sailors  in  order  that  he  may  sell  them  like  so 
many  slaves } "  Phil  asked  indignantly. 

"  I  ain't  overly  certain  as  to  what  they'll  say ;  but 
you  can  set  it  down  as  a  fact  that  never  a  mother's 
son  of  'em  will  so  much  as  open  his  mouth  where 
there's  a  chance  his  words  may  be  repeated  aft.  Cap- 
tain Porter  ain't  the  kind  of  a  seaman  that  a  crew 
can  afford  to  monkey  with.  He'll  do  as  he  believes 
right,  no  matter  what  them  as  sail  under  him  may 
say." 

This  conversation  was  interrupted  by  a  command 
which  surprised  even  the  oldest  shellbacks  among  us. 


A  NAVAL   STATION.  243 

Word  was  passed  that  a  party  of  forty  men  were 
to  take  four  6-pounders  from  the  Greenwich,  and  put 
them  in  position  on  a  small  hill  overlooking  the  harbor 
and  our  encampment  ashore. 

Another  force  was  called  off  to  carry  empty  water- 
casks  to  the  same  place,  and  Master  Hackett  muttered 
sufficiently  loud  for  me  to  hear  the  words :  — 

"  I  reckon  we're  to  make  a  naval  station  of  this  'ere 
island ;  an'  if  it  so  be  we  show  our  heels  to  the  Brit- 
ishers who've  been  sent  out  to  sink  us,  this  will  be 
a  likely  property  to  hold  in  the  name  of  the  United 
States." 

Phil  and  I  knew  full  well  that  we  had  no  right  to 
linger  on  board  the  Essex,  for  we  had  been  assigned 
to  duty  ashore;  and,  therefore,  while  the  working  parties 
I  have  spoken  of  were  being  made  up,  we  clambered 
into  the  first  boat  that  put  off  for  the  land. 

Then,  as  a  matter  of  course,  we  took  up  our  tasks 
as  cooks'  assistants  once  more,  although  it  would  have 
pleased  us  better  had  we  been  allowed  to  take  part  in 
the  work  of  building  the  fort;  for  that,  as  we  soon 
came  to  understand,  was  the  purpose  for  which  our 
men  had  been  called  off   from  the  labor  of   refitting. 

We  two  lads  had  ample  time,  however,  in  which  to 
observe  all  that  was  being  done,  for,  as  I  have  already 


244  WITH    PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

set  down,  we  were  allowed  many  a  spare  hour  between 
meals. 

The  empty  water-casks  were  filled  with  earth  and 
sunk  a  couple  of  feet  into  the  summit  of  the  hill  in 
such  manner  as  to  form  a  circle.  Then  sand  was 
shovelled  against  the  outside  of  these,  and  an  excava- 
tion made  inside,  until  we  had  a  breastwork  not  to  be 
despised  even  as  a  protection  against  musket  balls. 
The  guns  were  mounted  so  that  they  would  cover 
the  harbor  and  camp,  and  a  flag-staff,  on  which  was 
hoisted  the  stars  and  stripes,  set  up  in  the  middle 
of  the  enclosure,  the  whole  presenting  the  appearance 
of  a  regular  fort. 

Before  all  this  work  had  been  completed,  however, 
we  saw  two  of  the  Typees  coming  down  the  mountain- 
side, escorting  a  third  person  whom  we  knew  full  well 
was  none  other  than  Benson,  and  the  question  as  to 
whether  our  captain  would  take  any  trouble  to  save  the 
life  of  a  Britisher  was  answered. 

Phil  and  I  were  near  the  beach  when  this  party  came 
in,  waving  green  palm-leaves,  which  answered  the  pur- 
pose of  a  white  flag ;  and  while,  they  halted,  awaiting 
some  word  from  the  ship  as  to  where  they  should  leave 
the  living  peace-offering,  we  two  lads  had  an  oppor- 
tunity of  holding  converse  with  our  enemy. 


%-r 


THE  PARTY  CAME  IN,  WAVING  GREEN  PALM-LEAVES. 


A  NAVAL   STATION.  245 

He  was  as  humble  and  friendly  as  possible,  as  well 
he  might  be,  considering  the  fact  that  we  had  been  the 
means  of  saving  him  from  being  served  up  as  a  Typee 
roast  or  stew. 

"  If  ever  it  comes  my  way,  I'll  do  you  boys  a  good 
turn,"  he  said  in  a  tone  of  thankfulness,  and  I  was  dis- 
posed to  let  the  promise  pass  without  comment;  but 
Phil  did  not  hold  the  same  opinion. 

"That  is  to  say,  you  count  on  being  friendly  to  us 
until  another  chance  comes  your  way  of  selling  us  to 
the  whalers,  or  of  seeing  us  roasted  and  eaten,"  he  said 
angrily;  whereupon  Benson  replied  with  what  I  be- 
lieved was  sincere  regret  for  having  attempted  to  do  us 
bodily  harm :  — 

"  If  you'd  been  in  my  position  since  yesterday,  you'd 
know  full  well  that  I  couldn't  be  other  than  thankful 
for  what  you  have  done." 

"  I  allow  we  were  in  much  the  same  situation  when 
you  had  us  in  your  keeping,  and  was  determined  we 
should  be  roasted  !  "  the  lad  said  hotly.  "  But  for  the 
fact  that  the  Typees  got  the  worst  of  the  battle,  we'd 
be  ready  for  cooking  this  very  minute." 

Benson  could  make  no  reply  to  what  was  neither 
more  nor  less  than  the  truth,  and  he  hung  his  head,  as 
seemed  to  me  most  proper. 


246  WITH    PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

After  a  few  moments  of  silence  he  asked :  — 

*'  Do  you  know  what  your  captain  counts  on  doing 
with  me  ? " 

"  He  isn't  in  the  custom  of  telling  the  crew  what  he 
proposes  to  do,"  Phil  said  curtly ;  "  but  this  you  can  set 
down  for  a  fact,  that  if  he  turns  you  loose  around  the 
bay,  you'd  better  be  mighty  careful,  for  there  are  those 
among  the  men  who  wouldn't  count  it  a  crime  to  kill 
you  as  they  would  a  mad  dog." 

By  this  time  a  boat  had  come  ashore  from  the  Essex  ; 
Benson  and  the  Typees  who  had  brought  him  in  were 
taken  on  board,  and  we  did  not  get  a  glimpse  of  the 
Britisher  until  many  days  afterward.  The  natives, 
however,  came, ashore  half  an  hour  later  and  were  con- 
ducted by  our  men  a  short  distance  up  the  mountain, 
lest  the  Happars,  disregarding  the  flag  of  truce,  should 
set  upon  them. 

Three  days  later  Captain  Porter  took  possession  of 
the  fort  and  island  in  a  formal  manner.  He  and  his 
officers  went  into  the  fortification  where  the  flag,  which 
had  been  lowered  a  few  moments  previous,  was  hoisted 
while  the  ships  saluted  it  in  fine  style,  and  then  it  was 
announced  that  the  island  had  become  a  portion  of  the 
United  States.  From  that  hour,  so  the  captain  de- 
clared, Nukuheva  should  be  known  as  Madison  Island, 


A   NAVAL   STATION. 


247 


in  honor  of  the  President,  and  the  fort  was  given  the 
same  name.  The  bay  had  already  been  christened 
Massachusetts,  and  at  the  time  it  seemed  to  me  that  my 
country  had  come  into  possession  of  a  valuable  terri- 
tory ;  but  those  at  home  thought  differently,  for  in  after 
years  no  effort  was  made  to  hold  what  the  gallant  old 
Essex  had  fairly  won. 

The  remainder  of  this  day  when  we  took  possession 
was  spent  in  sport,  all  hands  having  full  liberty  until 
one  hour  before  sunset;  and  a  grand  jollification  we 
had,  visiting  the  most  respectable  Happar  families. 

Next  morning  twenty-one  men  were  told  off  as  the 
force  to  man  the  fort,  and  command  of  the  same  was 
bestowed  upon  Lieutenant  Gamble  of  the  Marines. 
The  duty  of  this  little  party  was  to  guard  the  remainder 
of  the  company  while  at  work  on  the  fleet,  and  other- 
wise keep  peace  between  the  Happars  and  the  Typees. 
Then  the  task  of  putting  the  ships  into  sailing  trim  was 
continued,  and  Phil  and  I  sincerely  regretted  having 
been  assigned  to  the  cook's  department,  otherwise  we 
might  have  been  numbered  among  the  defenders  of  the 
fort,  —  a  position  which  would  have  pleased  me  mightily, 
for  it  seemed  certain  that  the  Typees  were  more  than 
willing  to  let  us  severely  alone. 

As  I  stop  writing  at  this  point  for  an  instant,  I  come 


248  WITH    PORTER   IN   THE   ESSEX. 

to  realize  that  my  yarn  is  being  spun  out  too  long.  It 
would  please  me  greatly  to  be  able  to  set  down  here 
all  we  did  while  on  Madison  Island,  for  we  spent 
many  a  happy  hour  there,  despite  the  hard  work ;  but 
by  so  doing  I  might  never  come  to  an  end  of  that 
which  I  hope  will  pass  for  what  landsmen  call  a 
"story,"  although  every  word  is  no  more  than  the 
truth,  as  all  our  ship's  company  can  testify. 

In  order,  therefore,  that  nothing  of  importance  con- 
cerning the  cruise  of  the  Essex  may  be  omitted  through 
lack  of  time  and  space,  I  will  copy  here  what  was 
afterward  written  by  a  great  historian^  concerning 
what  cost  us  three  days  of  fighting,  and  to  relate  which 
in  detail  would  force  me  to  write  over  many  pages. 

"After  their  first  fears  had  been  allayed,  or  they 
came  to  understand  how  small  was  our  force,  the 
powerful  Typees  remained  hostile,  and  became  more 
and  more  defiant,  to  the  great  discomfort  of  the  Hap- 
pars  and  the  annoyance  of  the  Americans.  At  length 
Porter  resolved  to  make  war  upon  them. 

"  An  expedition  of  thirty-five  Americans,  including 

Captain  Porter,  and  ^.vq  thousand  Taeehs  and  Happars, 

moved  against  the  incorrigibles.     The  Typees,  armed 

with    slings    and    spears,    met    them   with    such    over- 

1  Benson  J.  Lossing. 


'       A  NAVAL   STATION.  249 

whelming  numbers  and  fierce  determination,  that  at 
the  end  of  the  first  day  they  were  compelled  to  fall 
back  to  the  beach,  numbering  among  their  casualties 
a  shattered  leg  belonging  to  Lieutenant  Downes, 
caused  by  a  sling-man's  stone.  That  night  the  valley 
of  the  Typees  resounded  with  shouts  of  victory,  and 
the  sonorous  reverberations  of  many  beaten  drums. 

*'  Porter  renewed  the  attempt  the  next  day,  and  led 
his  motley  army  boldly  over  the  rugged  hills  into  the 
Typee  valley,  in  the  midst  of  great  exposure  to  hostile 
missiles  from  concealed  foes,  and  many  privations. 

"  Village  after  village  was  destroyed  until  they  came 
to  the  principal  town,  in  which  were  fine  buildings,  a 
large  pubUc  square,  temples  and  gods,  huge  war- 
canoes,  and  other  exhibitions  of  half-savage  life. 
These  were  all  reduced  to  ashes,  and  by  the  broom 
of  desolation  that  beautiful  valley,  four  miles  in  width 
and  nine  in  length,  was  made  a  blackened  desert.  The 
Typees,  utterly  ruined  and  humbled,  now  submissively 
paid  tribute." 

It  seerns  almost  cruel  to  tell  so  brave  a  yarn  in  such 
few  words ;  but  for  the  fact  that  there  are  yet  more 
important  adventures  of  our  cruise  to  be  set  down,  it 
should  not  thus  be  hurried  over. 

Neither  Phil  nor  I  was  of  the  party  which  Captain 


250  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE   ESSEX. 

Porter  himself  led  over  the  mountains.  I  am  not  pre- 
pared to  say  that  we  would  have  gone  with  the  army 
if  permission  had  been  given ;  we  knew  what  fate 
awaited  those  who  might  be  made  prisoners,  and 
would  have  shrunk  from  thus  taking  the  chances  of 
being  the  principal  dish  at  a  Typee  feast. 

When  our  men  came  back  to  the  beach  whipped,  at 
the  close  of  the  first  day's  fight,  and  we  saw  Lieuten- 
ant Downes  brought  in  by  four  Happars,  looking  as 
if  death  sat  on  the  litter  with  him,  it  began  to  appear 
as  if  Massachusetts  Bay  was  not  a  desirable  naval 
station. 

Nor  were  Phil  and  I  the  only  ones  among  the  com- 
pany who  grew  faint-hearted  when  the  reverses  were 
made  known.  The  old  shellbacks  who  had  previously 
grumbled  because  we  were  to  take  part  in  a  native 
war,  now  came  out  strong  with  their  predictions  of 
evil;  and  to  have  heard  them  scold  and  mutter,  one 
would  have  said  that  already  were  we  hopelessly 
overcome. 

Next  day,  when  our  men  set  out  leading  the  entire 
army,  we  watched  until  they  were  lost  to  view  in  the 
distance,  firmly  beheving  we  would  never  see  them 
again.  During  the  time  we  spent  anxiously  waiting 
for  news  from  the  battle-field,  all   hands  were  in  the 


A   NAVAL   STATION.  25  I 

fort  or  on  board  the  ships,  ready  to  open  fire  if  the 
Typees  should  chase  our  people  to  the  shore  of 
the  bay ;  but  at  nightfall  our  anxiety  was  changed  to 
rejoicing. 

A  Happar  messenger  came  in  with  the  information 
that  Captain  Porter  had  whipped  the  Typees  thoroughly, 
and  would  remain  absent  from  the  bay  another  day  in 
order  to  destroy  the  villages  belonging  to  the  enemy. 

It  was  my  good  fortune  to  have  the  opportunity  of 
carrying  this  news  to  Lieutenant  Downes,  who  lay  in 
his  cabin  on  board  the  Essex,  and  to  my  great  surprise 
I  discovered  that  he  had  never  been  in  doubt  as  to  the 
result  of  the  expedition. 

"  It  couldn't  have  been  otherwise,"  he  said,  when  I 
had  emptied  my  budget  of  news.  "  Thirty-five  white 
men  with  ample  supply  of  ammunition  could  beat  off 
all  the  natives  of  the  island,  providing  they  were  not 
ambushed.  It  went  without  saying  that  Captain  Porter 
would  flog  them  into  submission." 

Because  he  spoke  to  me  so  familiarly,  I  ventured  to 
ask  him  concerning  Benson,  for  up  to  this  time  neither 
Phil  nor  I  had  been  able  to  learn  anything  regarding 
him. 

"  He  is  below,  in  such  snug  quarters  that  I  promise 
you  there  is  no  chance  of  his  escaping." 


252  WITH  PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX. 

"  Will  he  be  taken  back  to  Valparaiso  ? "  I  ventured 
to  ask. 

"  I  think  not,  my  lad.  It  is  my  opinion  that  he  will 
remain  on  board  until  we  arrive  at  the  home  port,  and 
then  be  delivered  over  to  the  proper  authorities.  So 
long  as  Captain  Porter  holds  command  of  the  EsseXy 
there's  little  chance  the  young  scoundrel  will  play  any 
more  tricks  on  honest  seamen." 

As  a  matter  of  course,  Phil  and  I  knew  full  well  that 
Benson  was  on  board  the  frigate ;  but  we  were  not  just 
certain  what  the  captain  proposed  to  do  with  him  when 
we  made  Valparaiso  again,  and  this  assurance  of  Lieu- 
tenant Downes's  caused  me  to  feel  decidedly  better 
mentally,  for  we  were  not  minded  he  should  escape  his 
just  deserts. 

When  our  people  came  back,  escorted  by  the  tri- 
umphant Happars  and  followed  by  the  chief  men  of 
the  Typees,  who  were  eager  that  peace  be  made  be- 
tween us,  we  gave  them  a  grand  reception,  which  was 
not  prolonged,  for  on  the  following  morning  the  work 
of  refitting  the  ships  of  the  fleet  was  continued  as  if  our 
commander  was  impatient  to  be  at  sea  once  more,  as 
really  was  the  case  if  the  statements  made  by  Master 
Hackett  the  evening  following  the  return  of  the  army 
were  true. 


A  NAVAL   STATION.  253 

I  had  asked  him  why  Captain  Porter  was  bent  on 
pushing  the  work  forward  to  the  utmost  limit  of  speed, 
and  the  old  man  said  gravely,  as  if  he  considered  it  an 
exceedingly  serious  matter  :  — 

"  It  is  near  time  for  the  arrival  in  the  Pacific  of  one 
or  more  of  the  frigates  sent  out  from  England  to  de- 
stroy us.  From  all  I've  gathered,  an'  by  puttin'  this 
an'  that  together  when  I've  overheard  the  officers 
talkin'  it  amounts  to  considerable,  it's  our  commander's 
idee  to  meet  the  Britishers  one  by  one  as  fast  as  they 
arrive,  instead  of  givin'  them  a  chance  to  come  at  us 
with  a  squadron  after  due  preparation.  We've  got  to 
fight  our  way  home,  if  we  ever  get  there  ;  an'  accordin' 
to  my  way  of  thinkin'  Captain  Porter  couldn't  do  a 
wiser  thing  than  to  meet  the  enemy  as  soon  as  possible 
after  they  round  the  Horn." 

"Why  then.  Master  Hackett.?" 

"  Because  after  such  a  voyage  every  ship  is  bound  to 
be  at  her  worst,  an'  it's  our  best  chance ;  if  we  give 
them  time  to  overhaul  an'  lay  plans,  we  stand  a  show 
to  get  beaten." 

"  And  are  we  to  give  up  the  island  after  having  so 
much  trouble  to  subdue  the  Typees  ? " 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it,  if  all  I've  heard  be  true.  Lieuten- 
ant Gamble,  with  midshipmen  Feltus  an'  Clapp,  are  to 


254  WITH    PORTER   IN  THE  ESSEX. 

remain  behind  in  command  of  the  force  detailed  for  the 
fort." 

"  And  they  are  to  stay  here  to  keep  peace  among  the 
natives,"  Phil  exclaimed  in  a  tone  of  surprise,  where- 
upon Master  Hackett  corrected  him  by  saying :  — 

"  It  goes  without  sayin'  that  they  will  keep  peace  on 
the  island ;  but  that  ain't  the  reason  for  leavin'  'em 
here,  by  a  long  shot.  We'll  need  a  harbor  for  repairs 
while  we  stay  in  the  Pacific,  especially  after  two  or 
three  battles  at  sea,  which  I  reckon  will  fall  to  our 
share.  Them  as  remain  behind  will  see  to  it  that 
the  Britishers  don't  take  possession  by  some  of  their 
whalin'  vessels  or  otherwise,  an'  we'll  have  a  port  to 
run  to  if  the  odds  are  too  great  against  us." 

I  failed  to  figure  out  what  was  to  become  of  those 
left  behind  in  case  the  Essex  was  destroyed,  or  if 
she  was  forced  to  flee  around  the  Horn;  and  Master 
Hackett  could  not  help  me  to  a  solution.  He  seemed 
to  treat  it  as  one  of  the  chances  of  war  which  the 
defenders  of  the  fort  must  take,  and  as  such,  not 
worthy  of  discussion. 

Well,  the  refitting  was  pushed  forward  with  all 
speed,  and  near  about  the  first  of  December  we  were 
so  far  ready  for  sea  that  it  was  only  necessary  to  take 
in  a  quantity  of  water  and  fresh  provisions. 


A  NAVAL   STATION.  255 

The  prizes  were  warped  in  close  under  the  fort, 
and  moored  there  in  such  manner  that  nothing  short 
of  a  most  violent  tempest  could  disturb  them. 

The  encampment  ashore  was  broken  up,  and  all  the 
men  ordered  on  board  the  ships  which  were  to  venture 
out. 

When  this  last  order  was  given,  we  had  signs  of 
serious  trouble. 

The  natives,  who  had  become  fast  friends  with  our 
men,  set  up  a  terrible  howl,  and  from  morning  until 
night  we  could  see  them  on  the  beach  crying  and 
begging  that  the  crew  be  sent  ashore  again,  while 
on  board  the  frigate  and  the  Essex  Junior  the  sailor- 
men  themselves  were  bewailing  a  fate  which  seemed 
unnecessarily  hard. 

There  was  little  mutinous  talk  on  our  ship ;  but 
we  heard  again  and  again  that  the  crew  of  the  Essex 
Junior  was  nearly  in  a  mutinous  frame  of  mind  because 
the  pleasant  stay  ashore  had  come  to  an  end. 

As  a  matter  of  course  the  old  shellbacks  were  not 
concerned  in  this  insubordination.  They  recognized 
the  fact  that  we  must  put  to  sea  as  speedily  as  pos- 
sible, and  were  even  eager  to  be  gone ;  but  many 
of  the  younger  fellows  would  have  deserted  except  for 
the  strong  guard  which  was  kept  both  night  and  day. 


256  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX. 

Only  those  who  could  best  be  trusted  were  sent 
on  shore  for  the  stores,  and  among  these  was  Master 
Hackett,  therefore  we  lads  heard  much  of  what  was 
happening  aboard  of  our  consort. 

It  was  the  evening  of  the  second  day  after  we  had 
been  ordered  aboard  ship  that  Master  Hackett  told 
Phil  and  me,  while  he  was  smoking  comfortably  near 
No.  I  gun,  the  following  startling  news :  — 

"  Bob  White  of  the  Essex  Junior  has  been  blowin* 
his  gaff  so  loud  that  it  has  come  to  the  ears  of  our 
officers,  an*  all  hands  will  be  called  up  for  a  wiggin' 
from  the  commander  before  another  day  goes  by,  or 
Fm  a  Dutchman,  which  I  ain't." 

"  What  has  he  been  saying } "  Phil  asked  curiously. 

"That  we  of  the  frigate  have  come  to  a  solemn 
agreement  not  to  get  under  way  when  the  order  comes ; 
or,  if  we're  forced  to  do  that,  we're  to  seize  the  ship 
in  three  days  after  leavin'  port,  an'  them  on  the  Essex 
Jtmior  are  to  stand  by  us." 

"  But  all  that  is  a  He ! "  I  cried  hotly.  "  If  there 
had  been  a  mutiny  on  board  this  ship,  surely  it  would 
have  come  to  the  ears  of  Phil  and  me !  " 

"  I  allow  that  some  of  our  youngsters  have  been 
makin'  foolish  talk  against  puttin'  to  sea  when  there's 
so  much  fun  to  be  had  ashore ;  but  as  for  downright 


A  NAVAL  STATION.  25/ 

mutiny,  why  it's  all  in  your  eye,  Biddy  Martin.  I 
count  that  the  worst  insubordination  has  been  argufied 
in  my  hearin',  an'  that  only  went  so  far  as  to  swimmin' 
ashore  for  a  night's  froHc.  Bob  White  will  find  himself 
in  trouble,  or  I'm  mistaken." 

Master  Hackett's  prediction  was  verified  early  next 
morning,  when  the  crew  of  the  Essex  Junior  was 
ordered  aboard  the  frigate,  and,  in  company  with 
all  our  men,  summoned  to  the  break  of  the  quarter, 
where  was  standing  Captain  Porter  and  his  officers, 
decked  out  in  their  newest  uniforms. 

The  captain  did  not  show  any  sign  of  anger  when 
we  stood  before  him,  but  began  like  a  preacher,  by 
telling  what  he  had  heard  was  talked  of  among  the 
men. 

It  goes  without  saying  that  this  was  the  same  yarn 
Master  Hackett  had  spun  for  us  the  night  before,  and 
the  commander  said  flatly  that  he  didn't  allow  there 
was  any  truth  in  it. 

"  I  can't  believe  any  of  you  who  have  braved  so 
many  dangers  during  this  most  glorious  cruise  would 
turn  mutineers  simply  because  life  on  the  island  is  so 
pleasing.  If  it  should  be,  however,  that  you  came  to 
such  a  pass,  rather  than  allow  the  shame  put  upon 
us,  I  will  without  hesitation  hold  a  match  to  the  maga- 


258  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

zine  and  blow  all  hands  into  eternity,  for  it  is  better 
that  the  ship  and  every  man  in  her  perish,  than  have 
it  told  at  home  that  we  were  ready  to  sacrifice  the 
interests  of  our  country  to  personal  desires.  While  I 
don't  believe  it  possible  such  an  agreement  could  have 
been  made,  there  may  be  some  hot  heads  among  you 
who  do  not  care  for  the  disgrace  which  would  come 
upon  all  this  ship's  company,  therefore  I  wish  to  see 
who  will  agree  to  obey  my  commands  in  the  future 
as  you  have  in  the  past.  Let  those  who  are  ready  to 
do  their  duty  like  men,  by  remaining  on  board  when 
we  go  to  meet  the  enemy,  step  over  on  the  starboard 
side  —  I  mean  those  who  are  not  only  willing,  but 
eager,  to  get  the  good  ship  Essex  under  way  when 
the  order  may  be  given  to  do  so." 

In  a  twinkling  every  man  jack  of  us  was  lining  the 
starboard  rail,  looking  curiously  behind  to  see  who 
would  dare  show  himself  mutinously  inclined. 

No  one  remained  on  the  port  side,  and  Captain 
Porter  looked  pleased ;  but  the  end  of  the  matter  was 
not  yet,  as  he  then  proved  by  saying :  — 

"  Let  Bob  White  come  forward  !  " 

The  mutinous  sailor  obeyed  sheepishly;  and  when 
he  stood  out  from  the  rest  of  us,  a  mark  for  every 
eye,  the  captain  said  sternly :  — 


A  NAVAL   STATION.  259 

"This  is  the  man  who  has  reported  that  you  had 
not  only  agreed  to  disobey  orders,  but  were  ready  to 
turn  pirates  for  the  sake  of  spending  your  lives  on  the 
island.  He  who  will  spin  such  yarns  about  honest 
sailormen  is  not  fit  to  associate  with  them.  Mr.  Mc- 
Knight,"  he  added,  turning  to  my  cousin  Stephen, 
"see  to  it  that  this  scoundrel  is  dropped  into  one  of 
the  canoes  which  are  hanging  around,  and  let  it  be 
understood  that  the  sentries  are  to  fire  at  him  if  he 
makes  any  effort  to  come  aboard  again." 

My  cousin  had  hardly  more  than  stepped  off  the 
quarter  to  give  the  necessary  order,  when  Master 
Hackett  and  a  couple  of  his  cronies  seized  Bob  White, 
and  before  one  could  have  counted  ten  the  mutineer 
was  kicking  and  splashing  in  the  water  alongside. 
They  had  not  taken  the  trouble  to  see  whether  a 
canoe  was  close  at  hand. 

There  were  so  many  islanders  near  about,  however, 
that  White  was  speedily  picked  up,  and  from  that 
time  he  was  never  seen  again,  unless,  perchance,  it 
may  have  been  by  those  who  garrisoned  the  fort. 

Then,  after  thanking  us  for  what  we  had  already 
done  while  under  his  command,  and  for  what  he 
expected  we  would  do  in  the  future,  the  captain  dis- 
missed us  that  we  might  get  about  the  work  of  the  day. 


26o  WITH   PORTER   IN   THE   ESSEX. 

It  was  only  natural  that  while  engaged  in  this  task 
or  the  other  my  mind  should  be  filled  with  thoughts 
of  the  insubordination,  and  the  possible  result  if  the 
crew  had  been  able  to  remain  on  the  island. 

The  seamen  among  us  who  had  had  the  most  experi- 
ence in  such  matters,  believed  that  we  stood  but  little 
show  against  those  ships  which  had  been  sent  from 
England  in  search  of  us ;  that  the  Essex  would  never 
round  Cape  Horn  with  the  stars  and  stripes  flying.  In 
such  case  we  had  only  death  or  imprisonment  to  look 
forward  to,  and  it  is  not  so  very  surprising  that  some  of 
the  men  should  desire  to  remain  among  the  islanders. 

As  for  myself,  and  I  can  also  speak  for  Phil  in  the 
same  words,  cowardly  at  heart  though  I  was,  it  seemed 
far  wiser  to  make  a  brave  fight  for  it  than  go  into 
voluntary  exile  among  cannibals.  Yet,  while  I  thus 
decided,  there  was  a  great  fear  in  my  heart  concerning 
our  fate,  and  I  would  have  given  up  anything  I  pos- 
sessed, with  a  mortgage  on  everything  which  might 
come  to  me  in  the  future,  had  it  been  possible  to  step 
at  that  moment  into  my  own  quiet  home.  I  had  seen 
enough  of  war,  although  having  viewed  it  only  from 
the  brightest  side,  and  I  quaked  at  the  prospect  of 
what  lay  before  us,  even  though  we  might,  in  the  end, 
succeed  in  giving  our  enemies  the  slip. 


A   NAVAL   STATION.  26 1 

It  was  the  morning  of  December  12,  18 13,  when  we 
got  under  way,  amid  the  booming  of  the  guns  from 
Fort  Madison,  and  I  venture  to  say  there  was  not 
a  man  in  either  ship,  whether  officer,  ordinary  seaman, 
or  marine,  who  did  not  wish  we  might  have  remained 
there  a  few  weeks  longer,  providing  it  could  be  done 
safely  and  honorably. 

The  prizes  were  left  under  the  guns  of  the  fort,  for 
now  we  were  going  out  to  meet  the  foe  in  battle, 
and  could  not  be  bothered  with  such  as  they.  The 
Essex  Junior  and  the  frigate  were  to  perform  the  hard 
work,  receive  the  British  fire,  and  then,  if  we  were 
successful,  which  hardly  seemed  probable,  would  return 
to  take  our  captured  craft  to  a  home  port. 

By  nightfall  the  island  was  lost  to  view  in  the 
distance,  and  on  the  vast  expanse  of  the  ocean  nothing 
could  be  seen  by  us  save  the  good  frigate  Essex  and 
her  namesake  and  consort,  Essex  Junior. 

Now  let  me  set  down  something  which  I  have  copied 
from  a  yarn  spun  by  an  old  sea-dog^  who  can  jockey 
a  spar  or  make  a  book  with  equal  ease :  — 

"  Up  to  this  time  not  a  dollar  had  been  drawn  to 
meet  the  expenses  of  the  frigate.  The  enemy  had 
furnished   provisions,  sails,  cordage,    medicines,    guns, 

ij.  Fenimore  Cooper. 


262  WITH    PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

anchors,  cables,  and  slops.  A  considerable  amount  of 
pay  even,  had  been  given  to  the  officers  and  men,  by 
means  of  the  money  taken  in  the  Noctofi.  Thus  far 
the  cruise  had  been  singularly  useful  and  fortunate, 
affording  an  instance  of  the  perfection  of  naval  warfare 
in  all  that  relates  to  distressing  an  enemy,  with  the 
least  possible  charge  to  the  assailants ;  and  it  remained 
only  to  terminate  it  with  a  victory  over  a  ship  of  equal 
force,  to  render  it  brilliant.  It  is,  perhaps,  a  higher 
eulogium  on  the  officers  and  crew  of  this  memorable 
little  frigate  to  add,  that  while  her  good  fortune 
appeared  at  last  to  desert  her,  they  gave  this  character 
to  their  enterprise  by  the  manner  in  which  they 
struggled  with  adversity." 

On  this  our  first  evening  at  sea,  after  so  long  a  stay 
in  port,  lister  Hackett  was  unusually  agreeable  and 
friendly  with  us  lads  who  had  done  our  best  toward 
saving  his  life,  whether  that  best  was  ill-advised  or 
opportune.  Instead  of  smoking  in  the  company  of  the 
other  old  sea-dogs,  he  joined  us  near  No.  i  gun,  and 
there  began  to  hold  forth  on  the  "  luck  of  the  Essex,'' 
as  if  beheving  we  needed  heartening  now  that  we  were 
pressing  forward  to  meet  an  enemy  of  equal  or  greater 
strength  than  our  own. 

"You    lads    haven't    made   quite   as   bad    a   fist   of 


A  NAVAL   STATION.  263 

sailorin'  as  I  counted  on  when  you  first  came  aboard," 
he  began.  "You've  given  good  attention  to  your 
duties,  an'  when  next  you  ship,  I  reckon  it  should  be 
as  ordinary  seamen  —  " 

"  Providing  we  ever  get  a  chance  to  ship  again,"  Phil 
interrupted.  "  It  seems  to  be  the  opinion  among  all 
hands  that  we're  on  our  last  cruise." 

"  Pay  no  attention  to  what  those  old  croakers  are 
sayin',"  Master  Hackett  repHed  quickly.  "  Sailormen 
always  borrow  trouble  when  there's  little  show  for  it, 
an'  don't  take  the  pains  to  work  out  the  traverse  that 
can  be  made.  I  hold  that  the  *  luck  of  the  Essex '  is 
still  with  her,  an'  will  be  when  we  meet  the  Britishers 
yard-arm  to  yard-arm,  or  at  whatever  range  our  com- 
mander believes  to  be  best.  No  man  can  go  into  an 
engagement  an'  do  his  full  duty  if  he  counts  on  bein' 
knocked  out  before  it's  over.  Believe  that  you've  got 
to  lick  the  other  fellow,  an'  then  you'll  have  an 
advantage." 

Master  Hackett  could  not  have  said  anything  which 
would  have  caused  me  to  believe  more  firmly  that  he, 
like  many  another  on  board  the  EsseXy  was  convinced 
we  had  come  to  an  end  of  our  **  luck,"  and  I  turned 
away  abruptly  rather  than  listen  further. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

AT  VALPARAISO. 

I  FORGOT  to  set  down  the  fact  that  we  brought 
away  from  Nukuheva,  or,  I  suppose  I  should  say, 
from  Madison  Island,  Mr.  Maury  and  his  companions. 
They  had  had  quite  enough  of  the  place  and  the  life 
there,  beautiful  though  the  first  was,  and  enticing  as 
the  latter  might  be.  It  was  said  Captain  Porter  pro- 
posed that  these  men  remain  in  the  fort,  since,  conver- 
sant with  the  language  as  they  were,  communication 
with  the  natives  would  be  more  readily  had. 

To  such  a  proposition  they  declined  flatly,  and  this 
fact  should  have  been  sufficient  to  show  those  of  our 
crew  who  still  hankered  for  the  flesh-pots  of  Nukuheva, 
what  would  have  been  their  condition  of  mind  after 
having  remained  as  long  in  that  veritable  garden  of 
Eden. 

Our  voyage  had  hardly  more  than  begun,  that  is  to 
say,  it  was  on  the  second  day  after  leaving  port,  when 
one  of  the  marines  brought  word  that  Phil  and  I  had 
been  summoned  to  the  quarter-deck. 

264 


AT  VALPARAISO.  265 

The  wooden-headed  fellow  had  not  taken  the  trouble 
to  find  out  why  such  an  order  was  given,  nor  which  of 
the  officers  had  sent  it ;  he  only  knew  that  his  sergeant 
told  him  to  summon  us,  and  we  two  lads  were  in  a  fine 
state  of  excitement.  Even  Master  Hackett  looked 
grave  when  he  questioned  us  closely  as  to  whether  we 
had  made  foolish  talk  which  might  have  been  over- 
heard by  the  officers,  or  if  our  duties  had  been  seriously 
neglected  at  any  time  lately. 

He  was  helping  us  make  ready  for  the  visit  all  the 
while  he  asked  these  questions,  therefore  no  time  was 
lost  in  such  converse. 

We  could  not  have  neglected  our  duties,  for,  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  we  had  none  while  at  sea  save  to  answer 
the  beck  and  call  of  every  member  of  the  ship's  crew, 
and  were  so  far  beneath  the  officers  in  station  that  they 
did  not  even  take  the  trouble  to  look  at  us,  except  when 
our  services  were  required. 

However,  there  was  neither  rhyme  nor  reason  in  our 
speculating  very  long  as  to  why  we  were  thus  sum- 
moned. We  were  bound  to  answer  the  call  as  soon  as 
might  be  or  find  ourselves  slated  for  punishment;  and 
as  soon  as  Master  Hackett  announced  that  we  were 
togged  out  in  proper  fashion,  Phil  and  I  went  aft  feel- 
ing very  uncomfortable  in   mind.     And  we  came  to 


266  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE   ESSEX. 

know  then,  if  never  before,  that  there  is  no  sense  in 
crossing  bridges  till  you  come  to  them,  or,  in  other 
words,  it's  unwise  "to  trouble  trouble  till  trouble 
troubles  you." 

On  going  aft  we  found  my  cousin,  Lieutenant  Mc- 
Knight,  standing  near  the  break  of  the  quarter-deck, 
and,  saluting  him  as  I  would  have  done  had  there  been 
no  kinship  between  us,  I  asked  if  he  knew  who  had 
summoned  us. 

"  I  did,-  lad,"  he  replied.  "  It  is  the  captain's  orders 
that  you  and  your  mate  look  after  the  prisoner,  Oliver 
Benson.  He  has  been  cared  for  by  one  of  Robert 
White's  cronies,  and  it  is  believed  best  to  give  him  in 
charge  of  those  who  have  personal  reasons  for  holding 
him  fast,  particularly  while  we  are  in  the  harbor  of 
Valparaiso.  You'll  find  him  in  the  brig,  and  separate 
rations  will  be  served  out  for  him.  See  to  it  that  he 
holds  no  communication  with  any  of  the  crew ;  but 
allow  him  to  walk  about  for  half  an  hour  every  day 
while  you  stand  guard  over  him  with  loaded  muskets. 
In  order  to  render  you  more  careful,  lads,  I  may  say 
that  we  believe  the  fellow  has  some  plan  for  escape  in 
his  mind,  and  you  are  detailed  as  his  keepers  in  order 
that  we  may  be  certain  of  nipping  it  in  the  bud." 

This   was   the    longest   speech   the    lieutenant,   my 


AT  VALPARAISO.  267 

cousin,  had  favored  me  with  since  I  came  on  board,  and 
it  pleased  me  mightily,  as  did  also  the  fact  that  we  two 
lads  were  rated  by  our  officers  as  being  better  able  to 
look  after  the  prisoner  than  some  others  of  the  crew. 

Having  spoken.  Lieutenant  McKnight  turned  on  his 
heel,  and  we  were  left  to  set  about  the  new  duties  ac- 
cording to  our  own  ideas  as  to  how  they  should  be 
performed. 

We  went  below  from  the  after  end  of  the  gun-deck, 
and  there  found  the  gloomy  cage  guarded  by  a  single 
sentinel,  with  whom  Benson  appeared  to  be  carrying  on 
a  lively  conversation. 

This  portion  of  the  ship  would  have  been  shrouded 
in  darkness  but  for  a  lantern  which  hung  over  against 
the  bench  where  I  fancied  the  guard  should  remain, 
and  the  light  was  so  dim  that  for  the  moment  Benson 
did  not  recognize  us. 

**  Have  you  come  to  relieve  me  .'*  "  the  marine  said 
as  we  approached,  and  while  replying  to  him  I  was 
seized  by  a  sudden  thought. 

"Will  you  ask  Lieutenant  McKnight  if  he  expects 
us  both  to  remain  on  duty,  or  may  we  stand  watch 
and  watch }  '* 

.   '*  It  ain't  likely  he  counts  on  two  lads  at  the  same 
time  lookin'  after  one  man  who's  locked  in  where  he 


268  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

can  neither  help  hisself  nor  hurt  others,"  the  marine 
repHed  pertly,  whereupon  I  told  him  that  we  should 
expect  him  to  bring  an  answer  directly  from  the  lieu- 
tenant, otherwise  I  would  go  on  deck  and  learn  the 
reason  why. 

He  looked  at  me  for  an  instant  as  if  surprised  that 
a  boy  aboard  ship  should  speak  to  him  in  such  a 
fashion,  and  indeed  I  was  rather  astonished  at  my 
own  air  of  authority  ;  but  I  would  not  lower  the  words, 
once  having  given  them  utterance,  and  he,  most  likely 
knowing  of  the  kinship  between  the  lieutenant  and 
myself,  turned  on  his  heel  without  giving  vent  to  the 
sharp  words  I  believed  were  trembling  on  the  tip  of 
his  tongue. 

Five  minutes  later,  and  before  either  Phil  or  I  had 
gone  so  near  the  cage  that  Benson  could  distinguish 
our  features,  the  man  came  back  with  the  word  that 
we  were  to  look  after  the  prisoner  according  to  our 
own  ideas  of  how  such  work  should  be  done. 

When  the  marine  had  left  us  once  more,  I  went 
boldly  up  to  the  bars  of  the  prison,  and  Benson  uttered 
a  low  cry  of  What  I  took  to  be  mingled  disappointment 
and  anger. 

"  So  you  two  are  to  look  after  me  .-* "  he  said  with  a 
sneer,  evidently  having  forgotten  that  he  had  promised 


AT   VALPARAISO.  269 

ever  to  remember  us  with  liveliest  gratitude  because 
of  what  we  had  done  when  he  was  in  the  power  of 
the  cannibals. 

Phil,  who  had  never  believed  soft  words  should  be 
wasted  on  a  villain  like  Benson,  answered  his  remark, 
which  was  at  the  same  time  a  question  :  — 

"  It  is  only  right  we  should  do  so,  if  for  no  other 
reason  than  to  repay  you  for  the  care  you  have  had 
over  us  on  two  occasions.  We  shan't  threaten,  how- 
ever, either  to  sell  you  to  the  whalers  or  make  certain 
you  are  roasted  and  eaten ;  therefore  the  account  won't 
be  really  squared  however  long  a  time  may  elapse 
before  we  gain  a  home  port." 

"Home  port.''"  he  cried  as  if  in  dismay.  "Am  I 
not  to  be  sent  ashore  at  Valparaiso .'' " 

"  Captain  Porter  doesn't  consider  it  necessary  to 
tell  us  all  he  intends  to  do;  but  I'd  be  willing  to 
wager  considerable  that  you'll  remain  in  this  cage 
until  we  are  anchored  in  some  port  of  the  United 
States." 

Benson  appeared  to  be  staggered  by  this  reply, 
and  during  two  or  three  minutes  remained  as  if  in 
deep  thought,  after  which  he  asked  sharply :  — 

"  Why  .  has  the  guard  been  changed  ?  Isn't  an 
armed  marine  enough  to  keep  me  here,  when  it  would 


270  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

be  impossible  to  get  out  unless  some  one  sup- 
plied me  with  the  proper  tools  for  prying  off  the 
bars  ? " 

"We  know  nothing  more  than  that  we  have  been 
ordered  on  duty,"  Phil  replied  curtly.  "  If  the  captain 
had  counted  on  your  understanding  fully  about  the 
business,  I  reckon  one  of  the  lieutenants  would  have 
been  here  before  this  to  make  explanations." 

Benson  gave  over  for  the  time  being  trying  to  learn 
the  reason  for  our  coming,  and  appeared  eager  to  be 
friendly  with  us,  as  might  be  seen  when  he  tried  to 
enter  into  conversation ;  but  neither  Phil  nor  I  gave 
him  any  encouragement.  We  beHeved  there  was 
some  serious  cause  for  thus  changing  the  guard,  and 
were  determined  not  to  hold  more  converse  with  the 
prisoner  than  was  absolutely  necessary. 

It  was  agreed  between  us  that  we  would  stand  watch 
and  watch,  two  hours  at  a  stretch,  and  that  he  who 
was  off  duty  should  not  leave  the  other  alone  more 
than  fifteen  minutes  at  one  time. 

You  see,  we  suspected  that  the  marines  had  shown 
themselves  too  friendly  to  the  Britisher;  and  because 
it  was  believed  by  our  officers  that  an  escape  was 
being  connived  at,  we  were  assigned  the  duty  of 
making  certain  the  sailor-selHng  Benson  remained  on 


AT  VALPARAISO.  2/1 

board  the  frigate  until  he  might  be  sent  to  some  prison 
more  secure  than  could  be  found  in  ChiU. 

Quarters  on  the  gun-deck  were  luxurious  as  com- 
pared with  those  we  were  forced  to  occupy  while  acting 
as  jailers.  Above  we  had  good  air  and  plenty  of  it, 
save  during  a  severe  gale ;  but  in  the  hold  of  the 
frigate  we  were  shut  out  from  everything,  even  the 
light  of  day.  One  hour  was  the  same  as  another  in 
that  place  of  blackness ;  the  Essex  might  overhaul  and 
capture  half  a  dozen  prizes  without  our  being  any  the 
wiser,  and  we  could  only  judge  what  might  be  the 
weather  by  the  heel  or  lurch  of  the  ship.  All  this  we 
understood  before  having  been  on  duty  an  hour ;  and  as 
I  realized  that  many,  many  long,  dreary  days  might 
be  spent  by  us  in  this  disagreeable  task,  I  began  to 
wish  most  fervently  that  the  Britisher  had  been  left  in 
the  Typee  village  to  supply  the  cannibals  with  the 
materials  for  a  feast. 

When  an  hour  had  passed  and  we  had  come  to  an 
end  of  discussing  the  reasons  for  our  having  been 
assigned  to  this  duty,  we  drew  lots  to  decide  who  should 
take  the  first  trick,  and  Phil  was  thus  selected ;  where- 
upon I  proposed  to  go  and  have  a  chat  with  Master 
Hackett,  to  learn  if  he  could  throw  any  light  on  the 
subject. 


2/2  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX. 

"  Remember,  you  are  not  to  remain  away  more  than 
fifteen  minutes,"  Phil  said  warningly,  and  I  promised 
to  keep  that  fact  well  in  mind. 

When  I  gained  the  gun-deck  once  more,  I  found  the 
old  sailor  in  a  fine  state  of  anxiety  concerning  us. 
Because  we  had  not  returned,  he  believed  we  yet 
remained  in  the  cabin,  and  was  worrying  lest  we  had 
been  accused  of  some  serious  misdemeanor. 

He  was  evidently  relieved  and  considerably  surprised 
by  my  explanations,  but  could  give  us  no  information 
whatsoever,  save  that  he,  like  us  lads,  believed  the 
captain  had  reason  to  suspect  that  one  or  more  of  the 
marines  had  become  too  friendly  with  the  prisoner. 

"  ril  keep  my' eyes  an'  ears  open,  lad,  an'  it'll  be  odd 
if  I  don't  pick  up  a  bit  of  news  here  an'  there.  It 
goes  without  sayin'  that  the  captain  has  good  cause  for 
givin'  such  an  order,  an'  the  reason  is  bound  to  leak 
out  sooner  or  later." 

"  Will  you  come  below  sometimes  and  have  your 
smoke  with  us  .-* "  I  asked. 

"  If  it  so  be  there  are  no  objections  made,  I  will,  lad. 
It  might  be  a  good  plan,  in  case  you  have  a  chance  of 
speakin'  with  Lieutenant  McKnight,  to  ask  if  I  would 
be  allowed  there.  The  rule  is  that  none  save  the 
guards  are  to  go  near  the  brig." 


AT  VALPARAISO.  2/3 

It  was  time  for  me  to  join  Phil  once  more,  the  fifteen 
minutes  having  been  spent,  as  nearly  as  I  could  judge, 
and  back  I  went  to  the  dreary  post  of  duty. 

I  had  hardly  more  than  repeated  to  him  the  brief 
conversation  held  with  Master  Hackett,  when  my 
cousin  Stephen  came  down  the  ladder,  greeting  us  in 
most  friendly  fashion. 

After  he  had  spoken  of  our  duties,  enjoining  upon 
us  the  necessity  of  keeping  the  prisoner  in  full  view 
all  the  time,  he  was  pleased  to  give  the  following  ex- 
planation for  what  appeared  almost  like  an  excess  of 
precaution :  — 

*'  It  is  your  especial  duty  to  see  that  no  one  has 
an  opportunity  of  speaking  with  the  prisoner.  It  is 
not  supposed  that  he  can  escape  unaided ;  there  is  a 
possibility  some  of  our  people  have  been  taken  in  by 
his  smooth  talk,  and  the  captain  is  determined  he  be 
lodged  in  prison  at  a  port  where  we  may  be  certain  he 
will  be  held." 

Then  it  was  that  I  made  bold  to  ask  if  Master 
Hackett  might  be  allowed  to  visit  us,  and  the  permis- 
sion was  given  without  hesitation. 

"  There  is  nothing  to  prevent  his  paying  you  a  visit 
at  such  times  as  he  is  off  duty  ;  but  if  any  other  mem- 
ber of  the  crew  should    come  without   authority  from 


274  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX. 

one  of  the  officers,  you  are  to  warn  him  away  at  once, 
and  in  case  he  refuses  to  go  immediately,  give  the  alarm 
aft  without  delay." 

With  that  the  lieutenant  left  us,  and  Benson,  who 
must  have  overheard  at  least  a  portion  of  the  conversa- 
tion, said  mockingly  :  — 

"  I  always  believed  the  Yankees  were  cowards ;  but 
never  before  fancied  the  crew  of  a  frigate  could  be 
scared  by  one  Englishman." 

Phil  would  have  made  an  angry  reply,  but  that  I 
motioned  him  to  be  silent,  afterward  saying  in  a  low 
tone :  — 

"  It  is  worse  than  foolish  to  bandy  words  with  the 
fellow.  We  know  by  his  anger  that  our  coming  here 
has  broken  up  some  scheme  he  had  in  mind,  and  he 
may  as  well  be  allowed  the  poor  satisfaction  of  gibing  at 
us  now  and  then." 

**  He  may  have  full  swing  of  his  tongue  once  in  a 
while,  but  I'm  not  minded  to  let  him  go  on  as  he 
pleases  all  the  time.  While  you  were  on  deck  he  had 
altogether  too  much  to  say.  Suppose  you  let  Master 
Hackett  know  what  Lieutenant  McKnight  said,  and 
then  we'll  settle  down  to  the  work  in  shipshape 
fashion." 

Once  more  I  went  on  deck ;  the  old  sailor  seemed 


AT  VALPARAISO.  2/5 

greatly  pleased  at  the  confidence  which  the  officers 
appeared  to  have  in  him,  by  thus  stipulating  he  should 
be  the  only  visitor  allowed  near  the  brig,  and  promised 
to  keep  us  posted  on  all  that  was  happening  aboard 
ship. 

And  he  kept  his  promise  to  the  letter.  No  less  than 
twice  each  day,  and  sometimes  much  oftener,  he  sat 
with  us  repeating  the  talk  of  his  shipmates,  until  we 
who  were  forced  to  remain  alone  in  the  darkness  had  a 
very  good  idea  of  what  was  going  on  above  us. 

The  gun-deck  barnacles  were  positive,  according  to 
Master  Hackett,  that  at  least  two  of  the  marines  had 
been  detected  in  favoring  the  prisoner  more  than  was 
allowable,  and  some  of  them  went  so  far  as  to  say  with 
assurance  that  a  plot  to  liberate  him  when  the  first  port 
was  made  had  been  discovered. 

Not  until  the  new  year  had  begun  did  we  learn  any- 
thing of  the  outside  world,  and  then  Master  Hackett 
reported  that  we  were  lying  at  San  Maria,  on  the  coast 
of  South  America,  taking  in  water.  No  sail  had  been 
sighted  during  all  this  time ;  but  information  was  given 
us  at  this  port  that  the  British  frigate  Phoebe,  36,  Cap- 
tain Hillyar,  had  weathered  the  Horn  searching  for  the 
Essex. 

One  week  after  this.  Master  Hackett  reported  that 


276  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX. 

we  were  entering  the  port  of  Conception ;  and  before 
the  day  had  come  to  an  end  we  learned  that  no  vessels 
had  been  found,  but  that  the  news  regarding  the 
Phoebe  was  confirmed. 

"  We're  now  under  way  for  Valparaiso,"  the  old  man 
said,  "an'  unless  I'm  way  off  in  my  reckonin',  we'll  find 
there  that  the  Chilian  authorities  have  had  a  change  of 
heart  so  far  as  we  Yankees  are  concerned." 

"  Are  you  of  the  mind  that  they'll  make  trouble  for 
us  .**  "     Phil  asked. 

**  I  ain't  reckonin'  they'll  go  quite  so  far  as  that,  but 
it'll  stand  us  in  hand  to  be  prepared  for  anything  while 
we're  lyin'  there." 

"  Why  doesn't  the  captain  give  that  port  the  go-by  }  " 
I  asked.  "  Why  should  we  put  in  there  if  the  Chilians 
are  like  to  be  disagreeable  to  us  .? " 

"  Captain  Porter  isn't  the  kind  of  a  man  to  run  away 
from  an  enemy,  lad,  an'  that's  what  it  would  look  Hke  if 
we  tried  to  slip  around  the  Horn  just  now.  His  plan, 
accordin'  to  my  way  of  reckonin',  an*  I've  said  it  be- 
fore, is  to  take  the  Britishers  one  by  one  as  they  come 
along,  until  we've  given  the  whole  boilin*  of  'em  a  flog- 
gin'.  If  we  didn't  look  in  at  Valparaiso,  the  enemy 
would  say  we  were  afraid  to  tackle  anything  but  a 
whaler." 


AT  VALPARAISO.  277 

"How  much  heavier  than  our  frigate  is  a  36-gun 
ship  ? " 

"  She'd  be  about  the  same  in  weight  of  metal, 
though  there  might  be  considerable  difference  in  the 
way  it  was  distributed.  Now,  a  regular  36-gun 
ship  should  carry  twenty-six  long  eighteens  below, 
with  sixteen  32-pound  carronades  an'  two  chase 
guns  above,  makin'  forty-four  in  all.  We've  got,  as 
you  know,  forty  32-pound  carronades,  an'  six  long 
twelves,  which  would  make  the  Phoebe  heavier  than  the 
Essex,  even  though  our  craft  has  two  guns  more. 
Now,  there  isn't  a  man  aboard  this  'ere  frigate  who 
wouldn't  kick,  an'  kick  hard,  if  Captain  Porter  should 
try  to  run  away  from  the  Britisher.  Give  us  half  a 
show,  an'  we'll  prove  that  whalers  are  only  taken  by 
us  in  order  to  replenish  stores  an'  protect  our  own 
merchantmen." 

"  That's  brave  talk ;  but  you'll  sing  a  different  tune 
when  we're  alongside  the  Phoebe  !  "  Benson  cried  from 
his  cage;  and  this  taunt  threw  Master  Hackett  into  a 
towering  passion. 

Although  it  was  forbidden  that  he  should  hold  any 
converse  with  the  prisoner,  he  freed  his  mind  by  tell- 
ing us  in  a  tone  sufficiently  loud  to  be  heard  by  the 
Britisher,  what   he  would    do,  regardless  of   rules,    in 


2/8  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

case    "  that   chimpanzee    in    the   cage "    had   anything 
more  to  say  against  the  Yankees. 

**  I've  heard  too  much  talk  from  him  already,"  the 
old  man  continued,  "an'  the  jiext  time  he  so  much  as 
peeps  while  I'm  around,  I  shall  go  straight  aft  an* 
ask  permission  to  give  him  a  dozen  flicks  with  the 
cat,  laid  on  by  myself,  which  will  be  all  he'll  need  by 
way  of  puttin'  a  stopper  on  his  tongue." 

From  that  moment  until  we  were  done  with  him 
forever,  Benson  never  so  much  as  snored  while  Master 
Hackett  was  near  at  hand.  y  ^ 

On  the  3d  day  of  February  we  knew  the  frigate 
had  come  to  an  anchor,  and  shortly  afterward  the  old 
sailor  appeared  to  give  us  the  news. 

"  Yes,  we're  in  Valparaiso  again,  an'  now  we're 
salutin*  the  fort." 

We  could  both  hear  and  feel  the  report  of  the  guns 
as  they  were  discharged,  and  already  knew  as  much 
as  the  old  man  was  telling  us. 

"  The  captain  will  go  ashore  to  chin  with  the  gov- 
ernor accordin'  to  the  rules  an'  regulations  of  the  navy, 
an'  after  that  the  old  chap  will  visit  us." 
.  "  But  what  of  a  change  of  heart.  Master  Hackett } " 
I  asked  with  a  laugh.  "  I  thought  you  counted  on  our 
getting  a  different  reception  from  what  we  met  with  last." 


AT  VALPARAISO.  279 

"All  this  visitin'  an'  firin'  salutes  don't  cut  any  ice. 
It's  a  way  these  'ere  swells  have,  no  matter  how  they're 
feehn'.  That  puffed  up  old  governor  might  come 
aboard  of  us  a  dozen  times,  hobnobbin'  with  the  offi- 
cers, an'  yet  be  jest  as  willin'  to  cut  our  throats.  Wait 
till  the  Phoebe  heaves  in  sight,  an'  then  we'll  have  a 
fairly  good  idee  of  whether  they're  friendly  or  not." 

"  Are  we  lying  at  our  old  anchorage .'' "  Phil  asked. 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it,  my  lad.  We're  well  out  in  the 
bay,  where  we  can  get  under  way  in  a  jiffy,  an'  the 
Essex  Junior  is  cruisin'  around  outside,  so's  to  give 
us  warnin*  when  the  Britisher  heaves  in  sight." 

"Then  the  captain  is  expecting  a  fight.'*" 

"  Expectin'  it,  lad  }  Why,  he  knows  it's  got  to  come  ! 
The  only  thing  we're  in  the  dark  about  is  how  soon 
the  Britisher  will  show  up." 

Phil  and  I  took  turns  going  on  deck  during  this  and 
the  following  day,  and  I  was  on  the  forecastle  twenty- 
four  hours  after  our  arrival,  when    the    governor,    his  ^ 
wife,    and    a   boat-load  of   officers,  came  off   to  pay  a 
ceremonious  visit. 

It  was  near  sunset  when  Master  Hackett  visited  us 
again,  and  this  time  he  had  quite  a  budget  of  news  to 
unfold. 

In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  enemy  might  appear  at 


280  WITH    PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

any  moment,  shore  leave  was  forbidden  the  crew,  and 
only  three  of  the  officers  had  been  allowed  to  land 
since  they  made  their  calls  upon  the  governor ;  but  these 
last  visits  were  enough  to  show  that  Master  Hackett's 
predictions  were  verified. 

The  officers  found,  so  the  marine  gossips  reported, 
that  there  was  no  longer  any  great  show  of  friendliness 
among  the  people  regarding  us,  and,  in  fact,  it  was 
openly  said  that  the  Chilians  would  be  well  pleased 
if  we  were  beaten  in  the  battle  which  seemed  so  near 
at  hand. 

"The  British  government  has  been  threatenin*,  I 
reckon,"  Master  Hackett  said  with  an  air  of  great 
wisdom,  "an'  the  governor  himself  is  countin'  on  our 
gettin'  the  worst  of  the  fight ;  but  there's  where  he's 
makin'  a  mistake,  unless  it  so  chances  that  too  many 
Englishmen  come  up  at  the  same  time." 

"We  shall  have  the  Essex  Jtmior  to  help  us,"  I 
said  like  a  simple,  whereupon  the  old  man  replied 
scornfully  :  — 

"  What  would  she  amount  to  in  a  fight }  In  an 
action  with  a  frigate  she  wouldn't  be  any  force  to  speak 
of.  A  craft  carryin'  ten  1 8-pound  carronades  and  ten 
short  sixes,  with  a  crew  of  only  sixty  men,  would  Hkely 
be  in  the  way  rather  than  lend  any  help.     No,  lad,  the 


'      AT  VALPARAISO.  28 1 

Junior  ain't  to  be  thought  of;  an'  when  we  go  to 
quarters,  you'll  find  that  she'll  get  orders  to  keep  at  a 
proper  distance,  if  only  for  the  sake  of  showin'  that 
we  don't  put  two  craft  against  one.  The  Phcebe  will 
get  fair  play,  an'  no  mistake." 

There  was  never  a  thought  in  Master  Hackett's 
mind  that  the  commander  of  the  Phoebe  might  not  count 
on  giving  us  fair  play  ;  but  the  fact  was  soon  made 
known  to  us. 

"How  many  men  can  we  muster.?"  Phil  asked. 

"What  with  prize  crews,  an'  them  as  have  been 
drafted  to  the  Jtmior,  I'm  told  that  there  are  only  two 
hundred  an'  twenty-five  aboard  this  'ere  ship,  countin' 
officers,  cooks,  boys,  and  sich-like  useless  raffle." 

"How  many  would  Hkely  be  on  board  the  Phcebe?'^ 

"  A  full  hundred  more  than  we've  got,  an'  when  it 
comes  to  boardin',  or  close  quarters  where  muskets 
can  be  used,  that  extra  hundred  will  count  against  us 
terrible." 

"  Are  you  growing  faint-hearted.  Master  Hackett .'' " 
Phil  asked  with  a  laugh ;  at  which  question  the  old 
man  turned  upon  him  savagely. 

"An  old  shellback  like  me  grow  faint-hearted.? 
You're  talkin'  at  random,  lad !  My  time  is  bound  to 
come  before  many  years  have  passed,  an'  I  only  hope 


282  WITH    PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

to  lose  the  number  of  my  mess  while  standin'  by  the 
guns  in  a  fair  fight.  A  sailorman  ain't  built  to  die 
in  his  bed,  nor  does  it  beseem  him  to  be  buried  on 
shore.  What  he  needs  to  put  him  out  of  this  world 
comfortably  is  the  roaring  of  a  broadside,  the  cheers 
of  his  messmates,  an'  a  shot  tied  to  his  feet  when 
he's  dropped  over  the  rail  after  havin'  done  his  duty. 
So  that  we  win  the  battle,  it  don't  make  much  differ- 
ence when  I  go  into  the  next  life ;  but  if  you  should 
speak  of  bein'  took  prisoner,  an'  kept  cooped  up  in 
a  cage  like  that  day  in  an'  day  out,  there's  where  I 
might  show  the  white  feather,  an'  small  blame  to  me." 

The  conversation  was  taking  on  altogether  too 
gloomy  a  turn,  more  especially  since  we  knew  beyond 
a  peradventure  that  before  many  days  the  frigate 
would  be  in  action,  and  I  put  an  end  to  it  by  proposing 
that  one  or  the  other  of  us  go  on  deck  for  a  whiff  of 
fresh  air. 

Phil  took  advantage'  of  the  opportunity ;  Master 
Hackett  followed  him  up  the  ladder,  and  I  was  left 
with  only  my  gloomy  thoughts  for  company,  unless 
one  counts  the  prisoner,  as  perhaps  would  be  correct, 
since  on  this  occasion  he  took  it  upon  himself  to  be 
unusually  friendly. 

**  I'm  not  counting  on  saying  what  your  chances  will 


AT  VALPARAISO.  283 

be  when  the  Essex  meets  the  Phcebel'  he  began. 
"  Your  people  may  get  the  best  of  her  — " 

"As  we  surely  will!"  I  replied  angrily,  for  I  did 
not  like  the  tone  of  doubt  which  accompanied  the 
words. 

"Very  well,  say  that  you  whip  her  handsomely. 
Do  you  think  it  can  be  done  without  sacrificing  some 
of  your  men  }  " 

"  Of  course  we  must  expect  that  more  than  one 
poor  fellow  will  lose  the  number  of  his  mess." 

"The  Phoebe  isn't  the  only  ship  that's  likely  been 
sent  out  against  you ;  and  even  though  you  whip  the 
first  two  or  three  you  come  across,  the  time  must 
arrive  when  you'll  be  too  short-handed  to  work  the 
frigate.  In  other  words,  no  matter  how  successful 
your  ship  may  be,  you're  bound  to  come  to  grief 
finally." 

It  was  some  such  thought  as  this  which  was  in  my 
own  mind,  and  it  angered  me  that  the  Britisher  should 
put  it  into  words,  for  I  did  not  relish  being  reminded 
of  what  appeared  to  be  a  fact. 

"  Why  should  you  figure  on  our  meeting  vessel  after 
vessel  until  we  no  longer  have  a  crew  left .?  "  I  asked 
sharply. 

"  Because  it  proves  that  in  the  long  run  I  shall  be 


284  WITH    PORTER   IN  THE  ESSEX. 

set  free  by  my  countrymen,  and  then  will  come  the 
time  when  I'll  have  the  upper  hand  once  more." 

"Well.-*"  I  asked,  failing  to  grasp  his  meaning. 

"Well.?"  he  said  with  a  laugh.  "  Tq  save  your 
own  neck,  why  not  make  friends  with  me  now  }  It 
isn't  to  be  expected  that  you  could  set  me  ashore; 
but  you  might  leave  the  door  unlocked  by  accident, 
and  when  the  time  came  that  you  were  in  the  brig 
of  a  British  man-of-war,  I  would  do  you  a  good 
turn." 

It  surprised  me  so  much,  this  speech  of  Benson's, 
that  I  allowed  him  to  finish,  instead  of  checking  the 
villain  as  I  should  have  done  when  it  first  dawned 
upon  me  that  he  was  proposing  I  play  the  traitor. 

"  Look  you,  Oliver  Benson !  "  I  cried,  speaking 
slowly  that  the  words  would  have  more  weight.  "  If 
I  knew  beyond  a  peradventure  that  I  might  save  my 
own  life  by  doing  the  wicked  thing  you  propose,  I 
would  say  *  no '  with  my  last  breath.  If  you  so  much 
as  hint  at  such  a  proposition  again  I  will  go  straight 
to  the  captain  with  the  story,  and  then  you  may  be 
certain  he'll  give  you  a  taste  of  the  cat." 

"  My  turn  will  come  before  the  Essex  is  out  of  this 
scrape,  and  of  that  there  is  no  doubt,"  he  replied 
venomously ;  and  I  questioned  not  but  that  he  would 


AT  VALPARAISO.  285 

wreak  vengeance  upon  Phil  and  me  whenever  the 
opportunity  presented  itself. 

I  was  yet  in  the  dumps  when  Phil  returned,  refreshed 
by  a  sniff  of  the  sea  air  and  a  glimpse  of  the  sun ; 
but  did  not  think  it  well  to  give  him  an  account  of 
the  conversation  just  held  with  Benson.  In  the  first 
place  it  could  do  no  good,  and,  secondly,  might  make 
him  as  dispirited  as  I  had  become ;  for  a  fellow  may 
not  speak  of  death  or  imprisonment,  when  one  or 
the  other  is  sure  to  come  soon,  without  experiencing 
a  certain  heaviness  of  heart  which  does  not  tend  to 
mental  comfort. 

If  we  were  to  suffer  death  or  imprisonment  as  the 
conclusion  of  the  cruise,  there  was  no  good  reason  for 
looking  forward  to  it. 

Phil  reported  that  the  Essex  Junior  could  be  seen  in 
the  offing  ;  that  the  frigate  was  lying  near  the  entrance 
of  the  harbor  where  she  could  be  gotten  under  way 
whatever  the  direction  of  the  wind,  and  that  everything, 
save  the  taking  down  of  the  bulkheads  aft,  was  in  trim 
for  a  fight. 

"You'd  hardly  recognize  the  gun-deck  now,"  he  said 
in  conclusion.  *'  The  men  are  not  lounging  around 
jawing  or  spinning  yarns  ;  but  appear  on  the  alert  as  if 
expecting  the  call  to  quarters  at  any  instant,  and  it 


286  WITH   PORTER   IN   THE   ESSEX. 

needs  only  sand  on  the  deck,  so  Master  Hackett  says, 
to  give  the  proper  showing. 

"  Sand  on  the  deck  ?  "  I  repeated. 

"  Ay,  so  that  the  planks  shall  not  be  slippery  when 
covered  with  the  blood  of  our  men.  I  am  told  that  it 
is  always  strewn  around  before  a  ship  goes  into  action." 

I  could  not  repress  a  shudder.  It  was  bad  enough  to 
hear  Benson  talk  of  what  must  surely  come  to  us 
finally,  without  listening  to  an  account  of  the  prepara- 
tions made  for  the  actual  approach  of  death. 

At  that  time,  when  it  seemed  as  if  we  were  cornered 
like  rats,  I  thought  of  my  home  which  I  had  left  so 
many  months,  and  with  the  thought  came  a  great 
wonderment  that  boys  should  ever  be  eager  to  leave 
their  mother's  side  in  order  to  take  part  in  the  wicked- 
ness of  the  world  —  for  surely  a  war  is  wicked,  what- 
ever the  cause. 

While  I  sat  there  in  the  darkness,  staring  at  the  bars 
of  Benson's  prison,  I  heard  again  my  mother's  voice, 
and  for  the  hundredth  time  since  leaving  home  realized 
that  she  was  my  best  friend ;  that  I  had  voluntarily  left 
her  in  order  to  come  at  last  face  to  face  with  death  or  a 
lingering  imprisonment. 

Surely,  this  world  never  held  a  lad  so  foolish  as  I  had 
proved  myself  to  be ! 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

THE  BRITISHERS. 

AFTER  making  the  proposition  that  I  allow  him 
to  escape,  Benson  gave  over  holding  any  inter- 
course with  Phil  and  me.  According  to  orders,  we 
allowed  him  to  come  out  of  the  cage  every  day  and 
pace  to  and  fro  on  the  deck  by  way  of  exercise ;  but  he 
did  so  in  silence,  and  I  was  by  no  means  disgruntled 
because  he  held  his  peace. 

Master  Hackett  spent  considerable  time  with  us  two 
lads  while  we  were  in  port  awaiting  the  enemy  ;  but, 
after  the  conversation  lately  set  down,  he  did  not 
indulge  in  any  speculations  which  might  arouse  dis- 
agreeable thoughts  in  our  minds.  Perhaps  he  under- 
stood that,  confined  in  the  dark  hold,  we  would  quite 
naturally  give  ourselves  more  wholly  up  to  reflection 
and  foreboding  than  would  be  possible  on  the  gun- 
deck,  and  brooding  over  possible  dangers  while  we 
were  thus  virtually  alone  would  cause  them  to  seem 
greater  than  they  really  were. 

Whatever  may  have  been  his  motive,  I  noted  with 

287 


288  WITH   PORTER    IN  THE   ESSEX. 

satisfaction  the  fact  that  he  spoke  in  a  more  cheery 
strain  of  the  expected  action,  and  on  one  or  two  occa- 
sions even  went  so  far  as  to  predict  that  the  Essex 
would  live  to  carry  the  stars  and  stripes  around  the 
Horn  again. 

Both  Phil  and  I  had  come  to  believe  that  when  the 
Britishers  did  arrive  to  give  us  battle,  he  and  I  would 
be  forced  to  remain  below,  guarding  our  prisoner,  and 
again  and  again  we  questioned  the  wisdom  of  setting 
two  to  watch  one  when  the  frigate  was  really  short- 
handed. 

Despite  the  cowardly  thoughts  which  we  realized 
would  come  into  our  minds  as  soon  as  an  engagement 
was  begun,  we  were  sad  because  there  seemed  to  be 
no  chance  we  should  bear  our  share  of  it.  It  would 
have  pleased  both  of  us  very  decidedly  if  it  could  have 
been  possible  to  sail  the  Essex  into  a  home  port  with- 
out a  severe  fight ;  but  since  one  must  come,  we  were 
eager  to  perform  our  full  part,  whatever  might  be  the 
result,  and  this  could  not  be  done  if  we  were  forced  to 
act  as  jailers. 

However,  this,  like  many  another  trouble,  was  of 
slight  consequence  when  the  decisive  moment  arrived, 
as  we  soon  learned. 

One  morning  when  the  men  were  beginning  to  be- 


THE  BRITISHERS.  289 

lieve  that  the  information  regarding  the  Britishers 
having  passed  around  Cape  Horn  was  false,  Master 
Hackett  came  below  with  every  evidence  of  excitement 
on  his  face  and  in  his  movements. 

"The  enemy  are  in  the  offin'  at  last !  "  he  cried,  slap- 
ping us  two  lads  on  the  back  as  if  believing  he  had 
brought  most  glorious  news. 

"  Can  we  see  them  from  the  deck  .''  "  Phil  asked  as 
he  leaped  toward  the  ladder,  for  it  was  my  time  of 
duty. 

"  No,  lad,  not  yet :  but  the  Junior  is  headin'  for  the 
harbor  with  signals  set  that  she  has  sighted  the  enemy, 
an'  it  won't  be  very  long  now  before  we'll  be  showin' 
the  Phoebe  what  we're  made  of  !  " 

Having  said  this  much  Master  Hackett  went  swiftly 
on  deck  again,  and  I  was  left  with  my  own  fears  and 
Oliver  Benson  for  company. 

I  fully  expected  that  he  would  try  once  more  to 
persuade  me  into  letting  him  escape,  but  fortunately 
for  his  own  skin  he  said  not  a  word,  and  I  sat  there 
silent  and  motionless,  trying  to  picture  my  behavior  in 
case  it  should  by  some  lucky  chance  be  possible  for 
me  to  bear  a  hand  in  the  action  which  seemed  to  be 
so  near  at  hand. 

The    moments    passed    slowly   yet   quickly,    and    I 


290  WITH    PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

believed  that  a  full  hour  had  elapsed  when  Phil  finally 
showed  himself  with  excuses  for  having  stayed  away  so 
long. 

"The  Junior  is  close  alongside  with  her  anchors 
down,  and  Lieutenant  Downes  is  with  Captain  Porter, 
most  Hkely  getting  orders  as  to  how  his  ship  is  to  be 
handled  during  the  engagement." 

"Can  you  see  the  Britisher?"!  asked  breathlessly. 

*'  Not  yet ;  the  boat's  crew  which  brought  the  Heu- 
tenant  on  board  says  that  they  should  be  off  the  harbor 
in  an  hour  at  the  longest." 

''They  should  be  off  the  harbor.  Is  there  more  than 
one } " 

"  Ay,  two,  so  it's  reported,  and  Master  Hackett  says 
we'll  tackle  all  that  come,  even  if  it's  a  whole 
squadron." 

"  He  is  talking  foolishly  !  "  I  cried  petulantly.  "  It 
isn't  reasonable  to  suppose  our  commander  will  take 
any  more  chances  than  are  absolutely  necessary." 

"  I  can't  say  what  he  may  do ;  but  our  people  are 
wild  with  excitement,  and  if  the  decision  was  left  to 
them  I  doubt  not  but  that  Master  Hackett's  state- 
ment would  sound  less  improbable.  Go  on  deck  and 
have  a  look  around ;  but  give  me  a  chance  when  the 
Britishers  heave  in  sight." 


THE  BRITISHERS.  29 1 

I  lost  no  time  in  acting  on  his  proposition,  and  as 
I  came  into  the  open  air  I  saw  Lieutenant  McKnight 
approaching. 

"Well,  lads,  your  disagreeable  work  has  come  to 
an  end  for  a  time  at  least,  and  I  can't  fancy  that 
you'll  be  sorry." 

I  looked  perplexed,  as  indeed  I  was,  and  my  cousin 
added :  — 

"  The  prisoner  will  be  sent  on  board  the  Junior  for 
a  while." 

"  May  I  ask  why,  sir  .?  " 

"  Because  it  would  not  be  quite  the  proper  treat- 
ment to  keep  him  under  fire.  As  soon  as  Lieutenant 
Downes  comes  on  deck  again  some  of  our  men  will 
be  sent  below  to  iron  the  fellow  and  bring  him  on 
deck  for  transshipment." 

I  did  not  wait  to  hear  more,  or  even  to  take  a  look 
around ;  but  ran  below  with  all  speed  to  impart  the 
cheering  news  to  Phil. 

On  hearing  what  my  cousin  Stephen  had  said  the 
lad  was  almost  beside  himself  with  joy ;  but  Benson 
was  overpowered  by  rage.  He  tore  and  beat  with 
his  fists  at  the  bars  of  the  cage,  now  crying  out 
that  we  should  be  paid  off  with  interest  for  treat- 
ing him  in   such   a   manner,  and  again  begging  that 


292  WITH    PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

we  ask  Captain  Porter  to  allow  him  to  remain  on 
board. 

There  could  be  but  one  cause  for  his  frenzy,  which 
was  that  he  had  really  made  friends  with  some  of 
the  marines,  and  counted  on  their  aiding  his  escape 
during  the  excitement  of  a  battle. 

We  gave  no  attention  to  either  his  threats  or  en- 
treaties ;  but  it  was  a  wonderful  relief  when  three 
men,  headed  by  Master  Hackett,  came  below,  the 
latter  telling  us  we  were  free  to  go  on  deck  since 
there  was  nothing  we  might  do  to  aid  them  in  their 
work. 

I  breathed  freely  for  the  first  time  since  we  had 
been  given  charge  of  the  Britisher,  when  we  stepped 
on  the  spar-deck  and  had  a  look  around. 

Within  half  a  cable's  length  lay  the  Essex  Junior^ 
her  boat  alongside  our  ship,  and  in  the  offing  two 
British  men-of-war  standing  directly  into  the  harbor. 

"  I  wonder  if  the  fighting  will  be  done  while  we 
lay  at  anchor .'' "  I  said  Hke  a  simple  that  I  was,  and 
Phil  replied  with  the  air  of  one  who  is  wiser  than 
his  comrade  :  — 

"Certainly  not.  In  the  first  place.  Master  Hackett 
says  it  is  against  all  the  rules  for  ships  to  fight  in  a 
harbor  belonging  to  a  nation  with  which  we  are  not 


THE  BRITISHERS.  293 

at  war.  Then  again,  it  is  necessary  to  manoeuvre 
the  frigate  while  the  fighting  is  going  on,  and  to  do 
that  she  must  be  on  the  open  ocean." 

"  I  see  no  signs  of  our  getting  under  way." 

"  Then  you  must  be  blind  indeed !  Notice  the 
men ;  each  is  at  his  proper  station,  and  on  the  gun- 
deck  the  ammunition  has  already  been  brought  out. 
Perhaps  they  have  sanded  the  decks." 

I  turned  away  from  him  impatiently.  Of  what  good 
was  it  to  mention  such  a  sinister  preparation  as  that  ? 
It  quickened  the  blood  in  one's  veins  to  see  the  crew 
standing  motionless,  ready  to  execute  on  the  instant 
the  first  order  which  should  be  given ;  and  made  the 
cold  chills  run  down  a  fellow's  spine  to  think  that 
measures  were  being  taken  to  cover  that  which  repre- 
sented the  life  of  our  people. 

While  I  stood,  half  a  coward  and  half  eager  to 
have  a  hand  in  the  work  about  to  be  done,  Benson 
was  brought  up  from  below  —  literally  brought  up, 
for  he  refused  to  lift  hand  or  foot  —  and  then  dropped 
bodily  into  the  boat  alongside. 

Lieutenant  Downes  took  his  station  in  the  stern- 
sheets,  and  the  small  craft  was  pulled  quickly  away, 
leaving  us  on  the  Essex  to  meet  the  coming  enemy. 

The  wind  fined    down  as  the  Britishers  came  into 


294  WITH  PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX. 

the  harbor,  the  Phoebe  leading  the  way,  and  we  had  a 
good  opportunity  of  examining  them  minutely. 

I  had  taken  a  station  by  Master  Hackett's  side,  and 
therefore  came  to  know  a  good  many  things  which 
otherwise  would  have  failed  of  attracting  my  attention. 

"They've  taken  on  extra  metal  to  meet  us,"  the 
old  sailor  said  with  a  chuckle,  as  if  such  fact  pleased 
him  wonderfully.  "  Thirty  long  eighteens,  sixteen 
32-pound  carronades,  one  howitzer,  an'  six  3-pounders 
in  her  tops.  That's  givin'  us  the  credit  of  bein*  good 
fighters,  even  though  they  do  accuse  us  of  not  darin' 
to  tackle  anything  but  whalers." 

"  Did  you  ever  see  the  other  ship.  Master  Hackett }  " 
I  asked. 

"  Ay,  lad,  time  and  time  again.  She's  the  Cherub^ 
a.  20-gun  ship ;  but  now  she's  carryin'  twenty-eight 
in  all  —  eighteen  32-pound  carronades  below,  with 
eight  24-pound  carronades  and  two  long  nines  above. 
There  can't  be  less  than  two  hundred  men  on  board, 
an'  take  it  all  in  all,  we've  got  a  decently  tough  job 
laid  out  for  us;  but  we'll  tackle  it  in  great  style,  lad. 
Why,  the  fact  that  the  Britishers  don't  care  to  meet 
us  with  such  a  frigate  as  the  Phoebe  alone,  is  enough 
to  stiffen  the  backbone  of  every  man  jack  belongin' 
to  this  'ere  craft." 


NEARER  AND  NEARER  CAME  THE  PHOEBE. 


THE   BRITISHERS.  295 

As  the  leading  ship  came  nearer  we  could  see  that 
her  crew  was  at  quarters,  and  more  than  one  old  sea- 
dog  looked  aft  questioningly,  as  if  expecting  our 
captain  would  give  the  word  to  prepare  for  action. 

Friendly  port  or  not,  it  seemed  very  much  as  if  the 
Britisher  was  making  ready  to  give  us  a  broadside 
without  the  courtesy  of  hailing. 

Nearer  and  nearer  came  the  Phoebe,  forging  ahead 
slowly,  and  when  she  was  less  than  a  pistol  shot  distant 
her  commander.  Captain  Hillyar,  hailed,  asking  after 
Captain  Porter's  health  as  if  the  two  were  warm 
friends. 

Our  commander  answered  politely,  and  then  warned 
the  Britisher  that  he  was  coming  too  near. 

"  If  you  foul  us,  sir,"  Captain  Porter  cried,  "  there 
will  necessarily  be  much  confusion,  and  I  cannot  be 
answerable  for  the  consequences." 

"I  certainly  do  not  meditate  making  an  attack,  my 
dear  sir,"  the  Britisher  replied  with  a  bow  ;  but  there  was 
that  in  his  voice  which  caused  me  to  believe  he  was  not 
speaking  the  truth,  and  Master  Hackett  muttered  :  — 

"  He'll  take  us  if  he  gets  into  position,  an'  now's 
the  time  when  our  captain  should  give  him  somethin* 
more'n  soft  talk.  If  I  was  in  command  of  this  'ere 
frigate  I'd  sink  him  off-hand." 


296  WITH    PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

At  that  moment  the  wind  shifted,  taking  the  Phoebe 
suddenly  aback,  and  her  bow  payed  off  directly  upon 
the  Essex. 

It  was  as  if  they  were  minded  to  board  us,  and 
Captain  Porter  must  have  believed  that  such  was  the 
case,  for  suddenly  came  the  command  to  call  away 
the  boarders. 

"  Now  we're  in  for  it,  lad  !  "  Master  Hackett  cried 
gleefully  as  he  ran  to  his  station,  I  following  close  by 
his  side.  "The  Britisher  counts  on  havin'  a  scrim- 
mage whether  we're  in  a  neutral  port  or  not,  an' 
I  reckon  we're  in  the  mood  to  give  him  all  he 
wants  ! " 

"  I  do  not  intend  to  board  you,  sir !  "  the  British 
captain  shouted  when  he  saw  that  we  were  ready  for 
him,  and  Captain  Porter  rephed  with  a  warmth  that 
pleased  me  wonderfully,  considering  the  fact  that  at 
heart  I  am  a  coward  :  — 

"  If  your  ship  fouls  this  frigate,  sir,  I  shall  open 
upon  you,  for  I  am  fully  prepared  for  action !  " 

"  I  do  not  intend  to  board  you,  sir  !  "  Captain  Hillyar 
cried  again ;  but  all  the  while  the  Phoebe  was  creeping 
nearer  to  us. 

"  Stand  ready,  boarders ! "  Captain  Porter  shouted, 
giving  no  further  heed  to   the   Britisher's   announce- 


THE  BRITISHERS.  297 

ment.  "Get  away  the  instant  she  touches  us,  and 
once  on  her  decks  you  know  your  duty ! " 

By  this  time  the  jib-boom  of  the  Phcebe  was  across 
our  forecastle,  and  the  ship  in  such  a  position  that 
we  might  have  sunk  her  before  the  Cherub  could 
come  near  enough  to  take  part  in  the  work.  Master 
Hackett  had  already  laid  hold  of  the  spar^  and  I  was 
alongside  of  him,  never  for  an  instant  remembering 
that  I  should  have  been  frightened.  Phil,  a  huge 
cutlass  in  his  hands,  was  looking  about  for  a  place 
on  which  to  leap ;  and,  taking  it  all  in  all,  if  I  had 
been  capable  of  connected  thought,  I  would  have  said 
that  neither  ship  could  avoid  an  action. 

Fortunately  —  there  were  many  aboard  us  who  would 
say  unfortunately  —  the  two  frigates  did  not  come  into 
actual  contact,  and,  seeing  that  he  had  put  his  ship  into 
a  most  dangerous  situation.  Captain  Hillyar  began 
shouting :  — 

"It  is  all  an  accident,  sir!  I  have  no* intention  of 
opening  an  engagement !  " 

While  he  spoke  he  waved  his  hands,  the  better  to 
attract  attention,  and  otherwise  behaved  much  like  a 
man  who  is  afraid  after  he  has  voluntarily  got  himself 
into  a  bad  scrape. 

Captain  Porter  gave  the  word  for  our  men  to  retire 


298  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

from  the  forecastle-deck,  and  the  Britisher  slowly  drifted 
by,  her  captain  bowing  and  waving  his  hat,  as  well  he 
might,  considering  the  fact  that  our  commander  would 
have  been  justified  in  sinking  him  while  it  was  not 
possible  for  him  to  strike  a  blow. 

How  our  men  raved  and  stormed  when  the  English- 
man went  by  to  the  inner  harbor  uninjured ;  but  they 
took  precious  good  care  that  our  commander  did  not 
hear  their  angry  words. 

Then,  after  the  Cherub  passed  us  and  joined  the 
Phoebe  at  a  berth  nearer  the  town,  leaving  our  men  at 
liberty  to  do  as  they  pleased,  what  a  noisy  confab  went 
on  among  the  deck  lawyers !  All  were  agreed  that 
we  should  have  sunk  the  Britisher;  that  the  boarders 
should  have  been  sent  away  because  by  coming  across 
us  there  was  every  indication  that  the  enemy  intended 
mischief ;  and  again,  that  there  can  be  but  one  mean- 
ing when  a  man-of-war  approaches  with  her  crew  at 
quarters. 

I  do  not  think  the  men  were  actually  enraged  with 
Captain  Porter  for  not  having  taken  advantage  of  the 
opportunity ;  but  they  blamed  him  severely  for  accept- 
ing the  apology  instead  of  beginning  an  action  which 
could  have  had  but  one  ending,  owing  to  the  fact  that 
the  Phoebe  would  surely  have  been  sunk  before  her 
consort  could  creep  up. 


THE  BRITISHERS.  299 

"  Mark  my  words  !  "  one  of  the  old  barnacles  shouted. 
"  Captain  Porter  won't  find  the  Britisher  so  willin*  to  let 
him  sneak  out  of  a  small  hole  ;  an'  if  the  time  ever  comes 
when  he  can  get  at  us  unfairly,  we  may  count  on  his 
doin'  it." 

"  That's  the  solemn  truth ! "  half  a  dozen  voices 
shouted,  and  I  asked  Master  Hackett  to  tell  me  exactly 
what  he  thought  of  the  whole  affair. 

"Well,"  the  old  man  said  slowly  and  thoughtfully, 
"  I  don't  feel  called  upon  to  rough  into  our  commander 
simply  because  he  acted  the  part  of  a  gentleman.  That 
man  Hillyar  is  a  bully,  or  he'd  never  come  into  the 
harbor  with  his  men  at  quarters,  an'  I'll  lay  all  my  prize 
money  against  a  herrin',  that  if  he'd  found  us  unpre- 
pared, his  boarders  would  have  been  called  away  in 
short  order." 

"  Then  you  think  he  really  meant  to  attack  us  .'* " 
Phil,  who  had  just  come  up,  asked. 

"  What  else  could  he  have  counted  on  doin'  ?  He 
was  takin'  the  chances  of  gettin'  the  advantage  in  some 
way ;  but  his  consort  didn't  keep  quite  as  near  as  he'd 
have  liked,  an*  then  when  the  ship  was  taken  aback,  he 
found  himself  at  our  mercy.  If  he  wasn't  up  to  mis- 
chief, why  should  he  have  come  so  close  alongside 
before  luffin'  ?     Captain  Porter  wouldn't  be  fooled  by 


300  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX. 

the  fine  words  thrown  aboard  the  Essex  when  the  Brit- 
isher was  quakin'  in  his  boots ;  but  he  acted  the  gentle- 
man, as  sailors  always  should,  an'  I  ain't  the  man  to 
blame  him,  though  I  do  wish  he  could  have  seen  it  in 
his  way  to  rake  the  Phoebe  when  she'd  come  into  such 
a  beautiful  position  for  the  work  !  " 

The  people  aboard  the  Essex  Junior  were  in  quite  as 
high  a  state  of  excitement  as  were  we.  When  word 
was  passed  for  the  boarders.  Lieutenant  Downes  began 
warping  his  ship  alongside  the  frigate  in  order  that  he 
might  have  a  hand  in  the  scrimmage,  and  now  the 
Junior  was  so  near  that  we  could  talk  in  whispers  to 
her  crew,  who  still  overhung  the  rail. 

I  suppose  Captain  Porter  knew  full  well  how  disap- 
pointed our  people  were  because  of  having  lost  such  a 
fine  opportunity.  He  went  below,  calling  some  of  the 
lieutenants  after  him,  and  it  is  in  my  mind  that  he  did 
so  simply  in  order  that  our  old  shellbacks  might  have  a 
chance  to  ease  their  hearts  by  hard  words. 

The  Britishers  were  at  anchor,  therefore  all  hands 
knew  we  would  not  have  an  encounter  for  some  time 
to  come ;  and  after  each  man  had  talked  himself  hoarse 
over  the  matter,  we  began  to  turn  our  attention  to  other 
things. 

Phil  and  I  were  eager  to  learn  if  Benson  would  be 


THE  BRITISHERS.  3OI 

kept  safely  on  board  the  Junior^  and  questioned  some 
of  her  men  regarding  the  villain. 

"  Don't  worry  your  heads  about  him,"  one  of  the  crew 
replied  with  a  grin.  "  We've  got  no  bloomin'  marines 
here,  an'  every  man  jack  of  us  has  it  well  in  mind  that 
he's  to  get  what's  due  him  this  time.  He'll  stay  where 
he  is  until  we  make  the  home  port,  unless  it  so  be  that 
some  of  his  friends  overhaul  us." 

"  Is  there  a  brig  aboard  the  Junior  f  "  I  asked. 

"We've  got  what  answers  much  the  same  purpose. 
He's  ironed,  an'  made  fast  to  a  stanchion." 

"  How  long  are  you  to  keep  him } " 

"  Until  you've  given  that  Britisher  the  floggin'  he 
deserves,  an'  ought  to  have  had  half  an  hour  ago. 
Don't  fear  the  Yankee-seller  will  give  us  the  slip ; 
an'  if  you're  feelin'  lonesome  on  his  account,  come 
aboard  an'  see  him  now  an'  then." 

"  No,  thank  you,  we've  had  all  we  want  of  that 
fellow,  although  we'd  rather  take  him  on  board  if 
there's  any  chance  of  his  getting  overboard  in  the 
harbor,"  I  replied  with  a  laugh,  feeling  much  relieved 
in  mind  at  knowing  that  we  were  not  to  be  burdened 
with  him  again  immediately. 

Simply  to  show  that  we  of  the  frigate  were  not 
the  only  ones  who  believed  Captain  Hillyar   had   not 


302  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

spoken  the  truth  when  he  apologized  for  coming 
alongside,  I  want  to  set  down  here  that  which  was 
written  by  the  historian  Lossing  many  years  after 
the  occurrence,  while  I  have  been  trying  to  put  this 
yarn  into  something  like  proper  shape  for  reading  :  — 

He  says :  **  It  was  afterward  generally  believed 
that  Hillyar  had  positive  orders  to  attack  the  Essex ^ 
even  in  a  neutral  South  American  port,  and  that  his 
intentions  were  hostile,  until  the  moment  when  he 
discovered  his  imminent  peril  in  the  power  of  the 
gallant  American." 

Twenty-four  hours  later  the  British  ships  stood  out 
to  sea,  having  taken  on  board  whatever  supplies  they 
needed,  and  you  may  be  certain  they  gave  us  a  wide 
berth  while  passing.  Our  crew  was  at  quarters,  ready 
for  any  kind  of  a  trick  they  might  attempt;  but  Cap- 
tain Hillyar  had  had  quite  enough  of  running  us 
down ;  one  experience  was  sufficient  to  show  him 
that  Yankee  sailors  in  an  unfriendly  port  are  not 
easily  caught  napping. 

Now  all  hands  were  certain  the  Phoebe  would 
speedily  show  her  willingness  to  engage  us,  for  she 
was  the  heavier  craft,  and  we  remained  with  our 
nerves  strung  to  their  highest  tension  until  it  was 
shown   plainly   that  the   Britisher   did   not    intend    to 


THE  BRITISHERS.  303 

tackle  us  except  at  that  moment  when  it  would  be 
possible  for  her  to  take  us  at  a  disadvantage. 

On  the  day  after  the  two  ships  left  the  harbor  we 
stood  boldly  out,  with  good  reason  to  expect  that 
a  ship  carrying  so  much  metal  as  did  the  Phoebe 
would  not  hesitate  to  attack  us  even  though  the 
Essex  Junior  was  near  at  hand ;  but,  if  you  please, 
that  valiant  Captain  Hillyar  had  no  idea  of  fighting 
us  on  anywhere  near  even  terms.  His  ship  was 
superior  to  ours  by  at  least  twenty-five  per  cent, 
and  yet  when  we  were  outside,  ready  for  a  fair 
battle,  he  refused  to  fight  until  the  Cherub  was  in 
position  to  share  a  full  half  of  the  scrimmage. 

It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  our  commander  would 
engage  against  both  the  Britishers,  if  it  could  be 
avoided.  He  was  ready  enough  to  show  them  of 
what  stuff  his  crew  was  made ;  but  did  not  propose 
to  do  so  when  it  was  impossible  we  could  even  so 
much  as  hold  our  own. 

The  days  went  by  until  four  weeks  had  passed, 
we  ready  to  fight  the  Phoebe  alone,  and  Captain 
Hillyar  showing  the  white  feather  on  every  occasion 
when  an  engagement  was  possible  and  the  Cherub 
chanced  to  be  at  a  distance. 

Our   men   chafed   and   fumed   at  the  cowardice,  as 


304  WITH  PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX. 

we  called  it,  but  all  in  vain ;  and  one  da}i  I  asked 
Master  Hackett  flatly  if  he  believed  Captain  Hillyar 
was  afraid  to  tackle  us. 

"No,  lad,  I  don't,"  he  replied  promptly.  "It's 
showin'  yourself  a  fool  to  claim  that  all  the  Yankees 
are  brave,  an'  all  the  Britishers  cowards.  The  com- 
mander of  the  Phcebe  has  had  his  orders  to  capture 
or  sink  us.  He  and  his  consort  together  can  readily 
do  it,  an'  considerin'  that  he's  got  us  bottled  up 
where  we've  no  choice  as  to  comin'  out,  he  counts  to 
hold  the  advantage.  From  his  standpoint  it's  all 
right,  an'  I'm  not  certain  but  that  our  commander 
would  do  much  the  same  thing  if  the  tables  were 
turned." 

It  wasn't  all  idleness  with  us,  however,  as  we  waited 
for  a  chance  to  engage  one  or  the  other  of  the  enemy 
singly. 

Time  and  again  we  got  under  way  as  if  determined 
to  tackle  them  both,  and,  standing  out  of  the  harbor, 
gave  the  Britishers  an  opportunity  of  measuring  speed 
with  us.  We  might  have  shirked  a  battle  by  leaving 
the  Essex  Junior  to  her  fate ;  but  Captain  Porter  did 
not  count  on  doing  one  or  the  other. 

Each  time  we  stirred  up  the  Englishmen  we  came 
back  to  our  anchorage  again,  as  much  as  to  say  that 


THE   BRITISHERS.  305 

we  would  leave  in  company  with  our  consort,  or  not 
at  all. 

One  day  I  overheard  little  Midshipman  David  Far- 
ragut  talking  with  Lieutenant  McKnight  about  a  boat 
expedition  which  was  to  be  sent  out  some  dark  night 
for  the  purpose  of  capturing  the  Cherub,  and  I  burned 
to  make  one  of  the  party ;  but  when  I  spoke  of  it 
to  my  cousin  he  reproved  me  sharply,  saying  that  it 
was  not  seemly  for  boys  to  be  listening  to  the  con- 
versations of  their  superiors. 

Now,  I  never  looked  upon  midshipmen  as  my 
superiors.  Of  course  they  lived  aft,  and  ordered  the 
other  boys,  and  old  men  for  that  matter,  about  in  the 
most  ferocious  manner;  but  it  seemed  as  if  the  lieu- 
tenant was  stretching  matters  when  he  allowed  that 
thirteen-year-old  David  Farragut's  conversation  should 
not  be  listened  to  by  such  as  me,  even  though  he 
was  the  captain's  adopted  son. 

However,  nothing  came  of  the  boat  expedition,  and 
perhaps  no  one  save  Midshipman  Farragut  seriously 
thought  of  such  a  rash  venture. 

It  was  on  the  27th  day  of  February  when  we 
believed  the  time  had  come  for  the  battle;  when 
Captain  Hillyar  gave  every  evidence  of  being  willing 
to  meet  us  singly. 


306  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

The  Cherub  was  fully  a  league  to  windward  when  the 
Phoebe  ran  in  toward  the  entrance  to  the  harbor,  and 
hoisted  a  banner  on  which  were  the  words,  "  God  and 
Our  Country ;  British  Sailors'  Best  Rights :  Traitors 
Offend  Both."  Then  she  fired  a  gun  to  windward, 
giving  as  plain  a  signal  as  sailormen  could  that  she 
was  ready  for  action. 

You  may  well  believe  that  we  did  not  spend  many 
minutes  in  getting  under  way,  and  on  the  Essex  was 
flying  a  banner  with  this  motto,  one  which  we  had 
run  up  many  times  before  when  coaxing  the  Britishers 
to  stand  up  like  men :  — 

**  Free  Trade  and  Sailors'  Rights  ! " 

It  seems  that  the  sail-makers  had  been  at  work  on 
another  banner,  for  as  we  came  out  of  the  harbor  a 
second  was  run  up  to  the  masthead  of  the  Essex^ 
and  on  it  in  bold  letters  were  the  words :  — 

"God,  Our  Country,  and  Liberty;  Tyrants  Offend 
Them." 

Our  crew  was  at  quarters,  Phil  and  I  among  the 
rest,  with  the  officers  in  fighting  trim  on  the  quarter- 
deck, and  I  heard  little  Midshipman  Farragut  say  to 
one  of  the  lieutenants  :  — 

"This  time  we've  got  them,  and  we'll  show  how 
Yankees  fight!'* 


THE  BRITISHERS.  307 

I  took  a  fancy  to  the  lad  from  that  moment, 
although  I  had  seen  but  little  of  him  previous  to 
this  last  visit  at  Valparaiso ;  and  even  though  he  was 
a  Spaniard  by  birth,  it  did  not  surprise  me  to  hear 
him  claim  to  be  a  Yankee,  although  he  had  no  right 
to  the  name  save  by  grace  of  his  adopted  father,  our 
commander. 

The  crew  cheered  lustily  when  the  Phoebe  stood 
her  ground  until  we  were  within  range,  and  every 
man  was  worked  up  to  the  highest  pitch  of  excite- 
ment as  the  order  was  given  for  us  to  let  fly  a 
broadside. 

The  cheers  were  changed  to  groans  and  yells  a 
moment  later,  however,  for  the  Britisher,  instead  of 
returning  our  fire,  ran  down  and  joined  her  consort. 

After  that,  even  Master  Hackett  allowed  there  must 
be  a  strain  of  cowardly  blood  in  the  make-up  of 
Captain  Hillyar. 

Once  more  I  set  down  what  another  ^  has  written, 
this  time  concerning  the  trick  the  Britisher  played 
us  that  day  :  — 

"  This  conduct  excited  a  good  deal  of  feeling  among 
the  officers  of  the  Essex ^  who  rightly  judged  that  the 
challenge  should  not   have  been  given  if   it  was  not 

1  J.  Fenimore  Cooper. 


308  WITH    PORTER   IN   THE   ESSEX. 

the  intention  of  the  enemy  to  engage  singly.  Taking 
all  these  circumstances  in  connection,  there  can  be 
little  question  that  Captain  Hillyar  had  been  posi- 
tively instructed  not  to  fight  the  Essex  alone,  if  he 
could  possibly  avoid  it.  As  he  bore  the  character  of 
a  good  and  brave  officer,  it  is  not  easy  to  find  any 
other  reasonable  solution  of  the  course  he  pursued. 
His  challenge  off  the  port  was  probably  intended  as  a 
ruse  to  get  the  Essex  into  his  power ;  for  demonstra- 
tions of  this  nature  are  not  subject  to  the  severe  laws 
which  regulate  more  precise  defiances  to  combat." 

Well,  we  went  back  to  our  anchorage  again,  not  in 
the  best  of  spirits,  for  we  believed  firmly  that  we  could 
whip  the  Phoebe  in  a  fair  fight,  and  every  man  jack 
among  us,  including  several  of  the  officers,  had  harsh 
words  in  his  mouth  regarding  the  British  captain, 
Hillyar. 

Within  a  very  few  days  after  this  Captain  Porter 
learned  that  other  EngHsh  frigates  were  working  their 
way  up  to  Valparaiso  ;  and  when  the  blockade  should  be 
stronger,  it  was  almost  positive  both  our  ships  would  fall 
prizes  to  the  enemy. 

All  this  we  heard  from  the  marines,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  and  finally  they  brought  that  information  which 
aroused  us  to  the  highest  pitch  once  more. 


THE   BRITISHERS.  309 

It  was  said  by  these  eavesdroppers  that  there  had 
been  a  consultation  of  officers  in  Captain  Porter's  cabin, 
and  it  had  been  decided  that  we  bend  all  our  energies 
to  giving  the  Essex  Junior  an  opportunity  of  escape, 
while  we  would  remain  and  take  the  brunt  of  the  fight. 

On  some  day  in  the  near  future,  when  the  wind  should 
be  strong  and  favorable,  we  were  to  put  out  as  if  wiUing 
to  meet  both  the  Britishers.  The  Essex  could  outsail 
them,  as  had  been  proven  several  times  already,  and  she 
was  to  run  two  or  three  leagues  off  the  coast,  knowing 
full  well  that  the  enemy  would  follow. 

When  we  were  hull  down  in  the  distance,  the  Essex 
Junior  would  get  under  way,  and  do  her  prettiest  at 
doubHng  the  Horn  without  running  afoul  of  a  British 
frigate. 

Surely,  it  seemed  as  if  that  plan  would  work  without 
a  hitch,  so  our  old  sea-dogs  argued, .for  the  Phoebe  and 
Cherub  must  follow  us,  since  neither  of  them  was  willing 
to  meet  us  singly,  and  they  could  not  run  the  chance 
of  waiting  for  the  Junior,  because  we  might  be  trying 
to  save  our  own  skins,  which  would  not  seem  improb- 
able in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  frigate  was  the  more 
valuable  ship  of  the  two. 

By  such  a  course  we  would  not  be  bringing  the  matter 
to  an  issue  as  far  as  the  Essex  was  concerned  ;  but  it 


3IO  WITH    PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

would  open  the  way  for  Xkio,  Junior  to  make  a  home  port 
and  give  tidings  of  us  who  were  ready  to  venture  all 
rather  than  have  it  believed  we  dared  not  stand  up  to  a 
ship  of  our  size,  or  even  two  of  them. 

Now  we  thought  and  talked  of  nothing  save  the 
scheme  to  outwit  the  Britisher,  and  it  is  safe  to  say 
that  never  a  crew  watched  the  sky  more  intently  than 
did  we,  for  a  strong,  favoring  wind  was  to  be  the  signal 
for  getting  under  way,  as  we  knew  by  this  time  from 
the  officers  as  well  as  the  marines. 

We  were  to  make  a  venture  which  might  bring  us  to 
grief  ;  but  we  believed  iirmly  that  the  Junior  would  get 
safely  out  of  the  scrape.  .    , 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

THE   BATTLE. 

WE  were  not  kept  long  watching  the  weather,  nor 
did  we  play  the  ruse  exactly  in  the  same  manner 
which  had  been  determined  upon,  as  will  be  seen 
shortly. 

It  seems,  as  I  afterward  learned,  that  when  the 
eavesdropping  marines  announced  to  us  of  the  gun- 
deck  that  the  scheme  had  been  decided  upon,  our 
officers  were  as  yet  only  discussing  it. 

To  be  precise,  as  one  should  be  while  setting  down 
facts  which  go  to  the  making  up  of  history,  it  was 
not  until  the  afternoon  of  March  27  when  Captain 
Porter  came  to  the  conclusion  that,  under  the  cir- 
cumstances, there  was  nothing  better  to  be  done  than 
give  the  Essex,  Junior  an  opportunity  to  slip  out  of 
the  harbor  while  we  were  leading  the  Britishers  a  long 
chase  seaward. 

In  case  the  Junior  got  safely  off,  we  would  not  soon 
again  be  troubled  with  Oliver  Benson ;  for,  as  Master 
Hackett  declared,  there  was   every  reason   now  why 

311 


312  WITH    PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

he  should  remain  where  he  was,  and,  if  all  went  right 
with  us  Americans,  he  would  soon  find  himself  in  a 
prison  from  which  he  could  not  depart  at  will. 

I  will  set  down  at  this  point,  lest  it  be  forgotten 
in  that  whirl  of  excitement  which  always  comes  over 
me  when  I  ponder  upon  the  thrilHng  deeds  of  bravery 
I  witnessed  within  a  few  hours  after  Captain  Porter 
had  decided  to  give  the  Junior  a  chance  for  her  life 
—  I  will  set  it  down  that  from  that  27th  day  of  March 
I  ceased  to  know  aught  concerning  Oliver  Benson. 
He  was  in  irons  on  the  evening  before  the  gallant 
frigate  was  overtaken  by  misfortune,  and  there  his 
history  ends  so  far  as  I  am  concerned.  Neither  Phil 
nor  I  heard  of  the  villain  again,  although  in  after 
years  we  made  many  inquiries  concerning  him. 

And  now  I  am  come  to  that  portion  of  my  poor  yarn 
where  the  Essex  lost  her  "  luck,"  and  the  losing  of  it 
cost  the  life  of  many  a  brave  man,  each  of  whom  stood 
facing  death  with  a  cheer  and  a  smile  until  the  grim 
messenger  gained  the  victory. 

No  time  in  my  life  stands  out  in  memory  so  vividly 
as  does  the  evening  of  March  27,  18 14,  and  yet  nothing 
of  particular  interest  to  a  stranger  occurred  at  that  time. 
That  portion  of  the  crew  not  on  duty  had  gathered  well 
forward  on  the  gun-deck,  discussing  the  chances  that  the 


THE  BATTLE.  313 

Jimior  would  take  in  trying  to  weather  the  Horn  when 
we  knew  that  the  Britishers  had  many  ships  between 
that  point  and  a  home  port. 

The  majority  of  our  men  beheved  she  would  pull 
through  all  right,  for  Mr.  Downes  was  a  skilful  and  at 
the  same  time  careful  seaman,  who  would  not  run  un- 
necessary risks.  Besides  this  fact,  our  people  still 
rehed  on  the  "  luck  of  the  Essex,''  for  they  were  as 
yet  ignorant  of  the  fact  that  it  had  at  last  deserted 
the  old  frigate  whose  career  had  been  so  glorious. 

There  was  much  jawing  and  arguing  on  that  evening, 
but  in  a  friendly  way.  Never  a  man  lost  his  temper, 
and,  to  the  best  of  my  knowledge,  not  a  harsh  word 
was  spoken  during  that  time  of  tongue  wagging.  All 
hands  were  in  the  best  of  spirits,  thinking  that  soon 
we  would  show  the  Britishers  a  trick  worth  half  a  dozen 
of  their  clumsy  ones,  and  believing  we  might  yet  prove 
the  Essex  to  be  a  match  for  both  the  ships  in  the  offing. 
It  was  the  most  enjoyable  time  I  ever  spent  aboard  the 
frigate,  for  on  the  eve  of  that  terrible  disaster  we  had 
forgotten  entirely  the  dangers  which  threatened. 

And  now  let  me  describe  the  entrance  of  Valparaiso 
harbor,  for  the  better  understanding  of  that  which  fol- 
lows :  — 

It  opens  to  the  northward,  being  formed  by  a  head- 


314  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE   ESSEX. 

land  on  its  western  side,  and  a  cove  that  makes  to  the 
southward  within  it ;  the  main  coast  sweeping  round 
to  the  north  and  east  again,  affording  the  necessary 
protection. 

When  Phil  and  I  turned  in  on  this  27th  day  of  March 
it  was  nearly  a  dead  calm,  with  no  indication  landward 
that  a  stiff  breeze  was  concealed  by  the  fleecy  clouds 
which  had  been  lighted  to  a  crimson  glory  by  the  set- 
ting sun. 

Next  morning  on  turning  out  we  found  the  wind  blow- 
ing half  a  gale  from  the  southward,  and  the  frigate 
leaping  and  plunging  to  the  anchors  as  if  bent  on  get- 
ting under  way  on  her  own  account. 

My  first  thought  was  that  the  moment  had  come  when 
we  might  play  our  trick  on  the  Britishers,  and  I  went 
directly  to  Master  Hackett  to  learn  if  there  was  any 
show  of  leaving  port  that  day. 

"I  reckon  we'll  hold  to  the  ground,  lad,"  the  old  man 
said  as  he  gazed  around  after  the  general  fashion  of 
sailormen  before  replying  to  a  question  regarding  the 
weather.  "  That  'ere  Britisher  is  so  careful  of  himself 
that  he  mightn't  think  it  safe  to  chase  us  very  far  at 
such  a  time,  so  it  stands  to  reason  we'll  stay  where  we 
are  till  things  look  more  promisin'." 

Having  satisfied  myself  on  this  score,  I  went  with  Phil 


THE   BATTLE.  315 

for  our  pannikins  of  tea  and  whatever  the  cooks  might 
be  pleased  to  dish  out  in  the  shape  of  breakfast ;  but 
before  we  had  succeeded  in  our  purpose,  and  while  yet 
standing  in  line,  with  a  dozen  men  ahead  of  us,  the  ship 
gave  a  mighty  plunge  ;  we  heard  a  noise  like  the  muffled 
report  of  a  24-pounder,  and  the  frigate  swung  around 
with  a  lurch  that  brought  us  up  all  standing  against  the 
starboard  rail. 

For  the  instant  I  was  at  a  loss  to  understand  what  had 
happened,  and  then  came  the  cry  :  — 

"  The  port  cable  has  carried  away  !  " 

The  heavy  chain  had  snapped  under  the  enormous 
strain  put  upon  it  as  the  frigate  made  a  wilder  plunge 
than  usual,  and  in  an  instant  we  were  being  driven  stern 
foremost  directly  toward  the  entrance  of  the  harbor, 
where  could  be  seen,  less  than  a  mile  in  the  offing,  the 
two  Britishers  with  everything  snugged  down  to  the  gale. 

In  a  twinkling  there  was  a  scene  of  apparent  con- 
fusion on  board  the  frigate,  although  as  a  matter  of 
fact  the  seamen  were  working  with  a  well-defined 
purpose,  each  intent  on  his  portion  of  the  task. 

There  was  nothing  to  be  done  but  crowd  on  all 
sail,  and,  whether  we  were  ready  or  no,  begin  that 
trick  which  we  believed  would  result  in  giving  the 
Junior  an  opportunity  of  running  the  blockade. 


3l6  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

Our  men  worked  like  beavers,  and  even  Phil  and 
I  took  a  hand  in  pulling  and  hauling  until  the  good 
frigate  was  well  under  way,  staggering  toward  that 
jutting  land  known  as  the  Point  of  Angels,  a  danger- 
ous bluff  to  double  in  the  best  of  weather,  because 
of  the  sudden  and  violent  squalls  which  are  frequent 
there.  As  a  rule  all  ships  reef  down  while  going 
around,  and  here  was  the  Essex  under  full  sail. 

We  expected  the  order  which  came  a  moment  later, 
and  the  topmen  were  already  standing  by  the  rail  to 
execute  it. 

In  with  the  gallant-sails !  We  were  going  to  haul 
close  by  the  wind,  counting  on  holding  our  weatherly 
position,  and  surely  it  seemed  as  if  all  would  go  as 
was  desired;  but  the  "luck"  of  the  Essex  had  left 
her! 

The  Britishers  were  at  such  a  distance  that  we 
might  easily,  by  hugging  the  land,  give  them  the  slip, 
and  then  the  chase  would  begin. 

There  was  no  time  for  tongue  wagging.  Every  man 
stood  at  his  post  ready  for  the  next  command  which 
might  be  given,  and  Phil  and  I,  sheltered  by  the 
starboard  rail  and  the  forecastle-deck,  were  breath- 
lessly watching  the  old  ship's  gallant  fight  against 
both  the  elements  and  the  enemy. 


THE  BATTLE. 


317 


On  the  maintop  four  men  stood  ready  to  loose  the 
canvas  after  we  passed  the  danger  point,  and  it  was 
to  me  as  if  we  had  already  doubled  the  bluff  when 
there  was  a  great  crash,  a  swaying  of  the  ship  as  if 
she  had  received  a  deadly  wound,  and  we  saw  the 
maintopmast  with  its  raffle  of  cordage  trailing  in 
the  water  alongside,  pounding  and  threshing  against 
the  side  as  if  bent  on  staving  in  the  planks. 

The  four  brave  seamen  went  with  the  spar;  but 
no  effort  could  be  made  to  save  them.  It  was  a 
case  of  holding  on  hard  and  running  for  dear  life, 
otherwise  the  Essex  would  soon  have  been  piled  up 
on  the  rocks  with  all  hands  battling  to  keep  off  death 
a  few  seconds  longer. 

Phil  gripped  my  arm  till  it  was  as  if  an  iron  band 
encircled  it,  and  I  believe  of  a  verity  that  I  ceased 
to  breathe  for  a  full  minute. 

To  run  before  the  wind  with  our  top  hamper  drag- 
ging astern  would  have  been  to  throw  ourselves  into 
the  arms  of  the  enemy,  and  while  one  portion  of  the 
crew  were  trying  to  cut  away  the  wreckage,  the 
remainder  did  their  best  to  put  the  frigate  about. 

Even  green  lads  like  Phil  and  me  understood  that 
we  could  not  beat  up  to  our  old  anchorage,  even 
though   the   frigate   had   not  been   wounded,  and   we 


3l8  WITH   PORTER   IN   THE   ESSEX. 

gazed  anxiously  aft  to  learn  what  might  be  the  course 
whereby  we  should  slip  past  the  Britishers  and  the 
yet  more  dangerous  headlands. 

That  question  was  speedily  answered  when  the  Essex 
was  headed  directly  across  the  harbor  entrance  to  its 
northeastern  side,  and  the  anchors  were  let  go  within 
a  pistol  shot  of  the  shore,  just  under  a  bluff  on 
which  was  the  Chilian  battery. 

I  drew  a  long  breath  of  rehef.  The  ship  was  no 
more  than  three  miles  from  the  town ;  she  lay  hard 
by  the  land,  and  equally  as  much,  if  not  more  so, 
within  a  neutral  port  as  before. 

**  That  was  a  tight  squeeze ! "  I  said,  bawling  in 
Phil's  ear,  because  the  roar  of  the  wind  rendered 
ordinary  conversation  difficult;  and  he  replied  by 
saying :  — 

"At  one  time  I  counted  it  as  a  certainty  that  we 
must  run  on  such  a  course  as  would  allow  the  Brit- 
ishers to  rake  us  !  " 

At  the  same  instant  I  noted  the  fact  that  while 
our  crew  should  have  been  snugging  down  the  canvas, 
they  were  moving  here  and  there  as  if  going  to  quar- 
ters, and,  pouncing  on  Master  Hackett  who  chanced  to 
pass  near  at  hand,  I  asked  him  for  an  explanation. 

**  Look  yonder,  lad,"  he  cried.     "  Are  you  blind  that 


THE   BATTLE.  319 

you  can't  see  both  the  Britishers  comin'  down  upon 
us  with  motto  flags  and  jacks  set?  The  brave  Cap- 
tain Hillyar  whom  our  commander  spared  when  we 
might  have  sent  him  to  the  bottom,  is  countin'  on 
tackhn'  us  while  we're  wrecked  aloft,  an'  in  no  posi- 
tion to  manoeuvre." 

"But  we're  still  in  the  port!"  I  cried,  almost  beside 
myself  with  astonishment  and  fear. 

"  He  doesn't  give  a  fig  for  the  port,  now  we're  the 
same  as  disabled.  It's  what  the  coward  has  been 
waitin'  for,  an'  he'd  take  advantage  of  us  if  we  were 
lyin'  just  off  the  town  !  A  gallant  Britisher  he,  who 
wouldn't  give  fair  battle,  but  hangs  off  an'  on  till 
he  finds  us  in  a  tight  place !  Show  me  a  Yankee 
who'd  play  so  contemptible  a  game,  an'  I'll  help  keel- 
haul him !  " 

The  first  boat's  crew  was  called  away  to  get  a  spring 
on  our  cable,  and  the  Phoebe  was  bearing  down  upon 
us  with  her  men  at  quarters,  thus  showing,  if  we  had 
had  any  doubt  before,  that  it  was  her  intention  to  open 
the  action  when  we  were  well-nigh  helpless. 

Our  commander  was  not  one  to  show  the  white 
feather,  however  great  the  danger.  At  every  point 
where  we  could  reeve  a  halliard,  flags  were  hoisted, 
and  orders  were  given  to  go  to  quarters,  although  if 


320  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE   ESSEX. 

the  spring  was  not  got  on  the  cable  we  might  never 
be  able  to  give  them  a  broadside. 

None  but  a  bully  and  a  braggart  like  Capain  Hillyar 
would  have  attacked  an  enemy  while  in  such  a  con- 
dition. 

The  Phoebe  rounded  to  when  nearly  astern  of  us, 
and  while  our  men  were  working  at  the  spring  she 
opened  fire  at  long  range.  The  Chenib  hauled  off 
our  starboard  bow  and  blazed  away  at  the  same  time. 

The  engagement  was  on,  and  I  hardly  realized 
that  I  was  taking  part  in  as  cruel  a  sea-fight  as  was 
ever  waged.  Phil  and  I  served  the  ammunition  for 
Nos.  I  and  2  guns,  and  so  rapidly  did  our  people 
deliver  their  fire  that  we  were  kept  on  the  jump  every 
minute. 

I  saw  the  men  throwing  sand  on  the  decks,  and 
forgot  to  be  frightened.  I  even  understood  how 
necessary  it  was,  how  greatly  it  might  be  to  my  ad- 
vantage in  the  work,  for  a  24-pound  shot  had  come 
through  one  of  the  midship  ports,  kiUing  three  men 
and  wounding  as  many  more,  and  the  red  blood  with 
its  odor  of  salt  flowing  across  the  planks  where  no 
sand  had  been  strewn,  caused  me  to  slip  and  slide 
as  if  on  greased  timbers. 

My  shirt  was  covered  with  blood ;  my  throat  smarted 


THE   BATTLE.  32 1 

with  the  fumes  of  burning  powder,  and  my  eyes  were 
half  blinded  by  the  smoke.  Here  and  there  lay  the 
body  of  a  shipmate  who  would  never  again  answer  to 
the  call  of  his  superior ;  a  wounded  man  had  crawled 
against  the  forward  bulkhead  and  was  trying  to 
stanch  the  flow  of  life  fluid,  and  amid  it  all  I  had  no 
consciousness  of  fear.  The  fever  of  battle  was  upon 
me  like  a  consuming  fire,  and  my  only  thought,  out- 
side of  the  duties  I  should  perform,  was  that  we 
might  be  mowing  down  as  many  of  their  men  as  they 
were  of  ours. 

Now  and  then  I  saw  Phil  dimly  through  the  smoke 
as  he  passed  me  going  to  and  from  the  magazine. 
His  shirt  had  been  torn  away,  or  flung  off,  and  thus, 
half-clad,  begrimed  with  powder  until  one  might  have 
mistaken  him  for  an  African,  he  cheered  whenever 
we  succeeded  in  firing  a  broadside,  or  waved  his  arms 
now  and  then  in  response  to  some  command  from  the 
gunners. 

Now  I  heard  a  shout  from  the  hatchway  that  a 
spring  had  been  got  on  the  cable,  and  as  we  sent 
a  broadside  toward  the  Phoebe  or  the  Cherub,  as  the 
case  might  be,  I  added  my  voice  to  the  others,  exulting 
in  the  thought  that  we  had  sent  death  aboard  the 
cowardly  Britishers. 


322  WITH  PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX. 

Again  I  heard  the  cry  that  our  springs  had  been 
cut  away  by  a  shot,  and  was  sensible  of  the  fact 
that  the  gallant  old  frigate  was  being  swung  around 
by  the  wind  until  the  after  gunners  were  forced  to 
cease  work  because  they  could  not  bring  their  pieces 
to  bear. 

Three  several  times  did  our  brave  fellows,  working 
under  the  enemy's  heavy  fire,  succeed  in  getting  the 
springs  on  the  cable,  and  as  often  were  the  hawsers 
shot  away. 

"  The  Phoebe  is  punishing  us  terribly,"  so  I  heard 
Midshipman  Farragut  say;  but  through  an  open  port 
I  saw  the  Cherub  running  down  to  leeward  to  take 
a  position  near  her  consort.  Surely,  we  had  given 
that  ship  enough,  although  not  succeeding  in  doing 
the  frigate  any  great  injury. 

The  Phoebe  was  so  far  away  that  we  had  hardly  a 
gun  which  could  touch  her,  while  because  of  her 
station  and  long  pieces,  she  sent  nearly  every  shot 
aboard  us. 

Then  came  a  lull  in  the  fighting,  and  I  heard  the 
word  passed  from  one  to  the  other  that  we  were  to 
get  three  long  twelves  out  aft,  and  side  by  side  with 
Phil  I  aided  to  the  best  of  my  abihty  in  the  work. 

The  Britishers  poured  in  a  heavy  fire  while  we  were 


THE   BATTLE.  323 

thus  engaged,  and  here,  there,  and  everywhere  on  our 
decks  were  dead  or  wounded  men  before  we  got  the 
new  pieces  in  position. 

Then  our  most  skilful  gunners  were  sent  to  the 
long  twelves,  and  we  lads  brought  ammunition  till 
we  were  ready  to  drop  from  mingled  excitement  and 
fatigue,  yet  were  hardly  conscious  of  our  condition, 
for  now  were  our  guns  beginning  to  tell,  and  we 
could  see  that  the  Britishers  were  suffering  as  they 
had  made  us  suffer. 

Then,  suddenly,  a  deafening  cheer  went  up  from 
our  men,  and  running  to  one  of  the  ports  I  squeezed 
my  body  out  past  the  gun  till  I  could  see  the  Phoebe 
and  Cherub  hauling  off  like  crippled  ducks. 

I  believed  the  battle  was  at  an  end,  and  began  to 
cheer  Hke  a  crazy  lad,  when  Master  Hackett  caught 
me  by  the  shoulder  with  a  jerk  that  brought  me  up 
all  standing. 

"  I  reckon  the  fumes  of  powder  an'  blood  have  gone 
to  your  head,  lad.  Quiet  down  a  bit,  or  you'll  need 
to  be  sent  into  the  cockpit." 

"We've  whipped  the  Britishers!"  I  shouted,  trying 
vainly  to  squirm  out  of  the  old  sailor's  grasp.  "  They 
thought  to  cut  us  up  because  we  were  well-nigh  help- 
less, and  it's  themselves  who've  got  the  worst  of  it." 


324  WITH    PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

"  Hold  your  jaw,  you  young  monkey !  This  is  no 
time  for  such  crowin'  as  you're  doin'.  We've  beat 
'em  off  for  a  time,  an'  it's  allowable  we  kick  up  a 
bit  of  a  shindy  over  it ;  but  the  battle  isn't  ended  by 
a  long  shot." 

"  Not  ended  ? "  I  cried,  coming  to  my  senses  in  a 
measure.  ^'Then  why  have  the  Britishers  crawled 
away  ? "  . 

"They've  only  hauled  off  for  repairs,  an'  it  stands 
you  in  hand  to  help  make  ready  for  what's  yet  to 
come.  Stow  your  jaw,  an'  bear  a  hand  with  the  rest 
of  us !  " 

I  was  to  "  bear  a  hand "  in  moving  the  dead  to 
one  side  where  they  would  not  hamper  our  move- 
ments, and  aid  in  carrying  the  wounded  below,  as  I 
soon  saw,  and  straightway  it  was  as  if  all  strength  had 
departed. 

Now  that  the  heat  and  excitement  of  the  action 
was  past  for  the  time  being,  my  stomach  revolted 
at  the  horrible  sights  everywhere  around,  and,  leaning 
out  one  of  the  ports,  I  yielded  to  the  sickness  which 
beset  me  even  as  it  had  when  first  we  put  to  sea. 

That  I  could  have  gloried  in  the  terrible  carnage;  that 
I  had  passed  the  dead  bodies  of  those  who  that  morn- 
ing had  greeted  me  with  a  friendly  word,  and  not  felt 


THE   BATTLE.  325 

my  heart  quiver,  seemed  incredible,  and  I  shed  bitter 
tears  because  of  my  hard-heartedness. 

It  was  cruel  as  it  was  wicked,  and  I  must  have 
been  possessed  by  a  demon  to  have  found  a  savage 
pleasure  in  such  sickening  work ! 

Almost  without  being  aware  of  the  fact  I  Hstened 
to  a  conversation  among  the  men  as  to  the  injury  we 
had  received. 

Eleven  men  had  been  killed  outright,  twenty-one 
were  wounded,  and  two  died  after  being  carried  into 
the  cockpit.  Our  topsail  sheets,  topsail  haUiards,  jib 
and  foretopmast  staysail  halliards  had  been  cut  away, 
and  almost  the  only  canvas  that  could  have  been 
spread  was  the  flying  jib.  How  many  shot  had  hulled 
us  it  was  impossible  to  say ;  but,  looking  over  the 
rail,  one  could  see  the  big  splinters  sticking  up  here 
and  there  until  it  seemed  that  we  must  have  been 
wounded  in  every  square  yard  of  hull  on  the  stern 
and  starboard  side  from  the  water  Hne  upward. 

It  seemed  impossible  that  we  could  continue  the 
action  another  moment,  and  yet  our  men  were  cheerily 
making  preparations  to  renew  the  fight. 

I  believe  it  was  the  knowledge  that  we  would  soon 
be  under  fire  again  which  aided  me  in  so  far  pulling 
myself   together  that  I  could  obey  orders ;    and   even 


326  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE  ESSEX. 

when  I  was  in  the  thick  of  the  terrible  work  the 
sight  of  a  pool  of  blood  would  cause  an  upheaval 
of  my  stomach,  although  when  the  wounds  were  re- 
ceived and  I  might  have  said  a  soothing  word  to 
the  dying,  all  this  carnage  was  as  nothing. 

It  is  beyond  my  poor  skill  with  a  pen  to  set  down 
the  second  portion  of  this  wicked  fight  into  which  we 
had  been  so  cowardly  forced,  and  also  because  I  know 
very  little  of  it  from  my  own  knowledge.  When  the 
Britishers  came  down  upon  us  again  the  fever  of  battle 
took  hold  of  me  once  more,  and  I  was  little  less  than 
crazy. 

Here  is  the  remainder  of  the  story,  at  which  Brit- 
ishers should  blush,  as  told  by  one  who  quietly 
pieced  together  the  accounts  given  him  by  the  sur- 
vivors :  — 

"The  enemy  was  not  long  in  making  his  repairs, 
and  both  ships  next  took  a  position  on  the  starboard 
quarter  of  the  Essex,  where  it  was  not  in  the  power 
of  the  latter  vessel  to  bring  a  single  gun  to  bear  upon 
him,  as  he  was  too  distant  to  be  reached  by  carronades. 
His  fire  was  very  galling,  and  it  left  no  alternative 
to  Captain  Porter  between  submission  and  running 
down  to  assail  him.  He  gallantly  decided  on  the 
latter.     But  by  this  time  the  Essex  had  received  many 


THE   BATTLE.  32/ 

serious  injuries  in  addition  to  the  loss  of  her  topmast. 
The  only  sail  that  could  be  got  upon  the  ship  to 
make  her  head  pay  off  was  the  flying  jib,  which  was 
hoisted  when  the  cable  was  cut,  and  the  vessel  edged 
away  with  the  intention  of  laying  the  Phoebe  aboard. 

"The  foretopsail  and  the  foresail  were  not  let  fall, 
though  for  want  of  tacks  and  sheets  they  were  nearly 
useless.  Still  the  Essex  drove  down  on  her  assailants, 
closing  near  enough  to  open  with  her  carronades. 
For  a  few  minutes  the  firing  on  both  sides  was  tremen- 
dous, the  people  of  the  Essex  proving  their  discipline 
and  gallantry  at  that  trying  moment  in  a  way  to  justify 
all  the  high  expectations  that  had  been  formed  of 
them,  though  their  decks  were  already  strewn  with 
killed,  and  the  cockpit  was  crowded  with  the  wounded. 
This  work  proved  too  hot  for  the  Cherub,  which  hauled 
off  a  second  time,  nor  did  she  come  near  enough  to 
use  her  carronades  again,  during  the  remainder  of  the 
action  keeping  up  a  distant  fire  with  her  long  guns. 

"The  Phcebe  discovered  no  disposition  to  throw 
away  the  immense  advantage  she  possessed  in  her 
long  eighteens ;  and  when  she  found  the  Essex's  fire 
becoming  warm  she  kept  edging  off,  throwing  her 
shot  at  the  same  time  with  fatal  effect,  cutting  down 
the  people  of  her  antagonist  almost  with  impunity  to 


328  WITH    PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

herself.  By  this  time  many  of  the  guns  of  the  Ameri- 
can ship  were  disabled,  and  the  crews  of  several  had 
been  swept  away.  One  particular  gun  was  a  scene 
of  carnage  that  is  seldom  witnessed  in  a  naval  combat, 
nearly  three  entire  crews  falling  at  it  in  the  course 
of  the  action.  Its  captain  alone  escaped  with  a  slight 
wound. 

"  This  scene  of  almost  unresisting  carnage  had  now 
lasted  nearly  two  hours,  and  finding  it  impossible  to 
close  with  his  adversary,  who  chose  his  distance  at 
pleasure.  Captain  Porter  felt  the  necessity  of  taking 
some  prompt  measure  if  he  would  prevent  the  enemy 
from  getting  possession  of  his  ship.  The  wind  had 
hauled  to  the  westward,  and  he  saw  a  hope  of  run- 
ning her  ashore  at  a  spot  where  he  might  land  his 
people  and  set  her  on  fire.  For  a  few  minutes  every- 
thing appeared  to  favor  this  design,  and  the  Essex 
had  drifted  within  musket-shot  of  the  beach  when 
the  wind  suddenly  shifted  from  the  land,  paying  the 
ship's  head  off  in  a  way  to  leave  her  exposed  to  a 
dreadful  raking  fire.  Still,  as  she  was  again  closing 
with  the  Phoebe,  Captain  Porter  indulged  a  hope  of 
finally  laying  that  ship  aboard. 

"  At  this  moment  Lieutenant  Commandant  Downes 
came  alongside  the  Essex  in  order  to  receive  the  orders 


THE   BATTLE.  329 

of  his  commanding  officer,  having  pulled  through  all 
the  fire  in  order  to  effect  this  object.  He  could  be 
of  no  use,  for  the  enemy  again  put  his  helm  up  and 
kept  away,  when  Mr.  Downes,  after  remaining  in 
the  Essex  ten  minutes,  was  directed  to  return  to  his 
own  ship  and  make  preparations  to  defend,  or,  at  need, 
to  destroy  her.  On  going  away  he  carried  off  several 
of  the  Essex's  wounded,  leaving  three  of  his  own  men 
behind  him  in  order  to  make  room  in  the  boat. 

"The  slaughter  in  the  Essex  having  got  to  be  too 
horrible,  the  enemy  firing  with  deliberation  and  hull- 
ing her  at  almost  every  shot.  Captain  Porter,  as  a 
last  resort,  ordered  a  hawser  to  be  bent  to  the  sheet 
anchor,  and  the  latter  let  go  in  order  to  bring  the 
head  of  the  ship  around.  This  effected  the  object, 
and  once  more  the  Americans  got  their  broadside  to 
bear,  remaining  stationary  themselves,  while  their 
enemy,  a  good  deal  crippled,  was  drifting  slowly  to 
leeward.  Even  in  these  desperate  circumstances  a 
ray  of  hope  gleamed  through  this  Httle  advantage, 
and  Captain  Porter  was  beginning  to  believe  that 
the  PJiocbe  would  drift  out  of  gun-shot  before  she 
discovered  his  expedient,  when  the  hawser  parted 
with  the  strain. 

"There  was    no    longer    any    chance    of    saving  the 


330  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

ship.  To  add  to  his  distress  she  was  on  fire,  the 
flames  coming  up  both  the  main  and  forward  hatch- 
ways ;  and  for  a  few  moments  it  was  thought  she 
would  thus  be  destroyed.  An  explosion  of  powder 
also  occurred  below,  to  add  to  the  horrors  of  the 
scene,  and  Captain  Porter  told  his  people  that,  in 
preference  to  being  blown  up,  all  who  chose  to  incur 
the  risk  might  attempt  to  reach  the  shore  by  swim- 
ming. Many  availed  themselves  of  this  permission, 
and  some  succeeded  in  effecting  their  escape.  Others 
perished,  while  a  few,  after  drifting  about  on  bits  of 
spars,  were  picked  up  by  the  boats  of  the  enemy. 
Much  the  greater  part  of  the  crew,  however,  re- 
mained in  the  ship,  and  they  set  about  an  attempt 
to  extinguish  the  flames,  although  the  shot  of  the 
enemy  was  committing  its  havoc  the  whole  time. 
Fortunately,  the  fire  was  got  under,  when  the  few 
brave  men  who  were  left  went  again  to  the  long 
guns. 

"The  moment  had  now  arrived  when  Captain 
Porter  was  to  decide  between  submission  or  the  de- 
struction of  the  remainder  of  his  people.  In  the 
midst  of  this  scene  of  slaughter  he  had  himself  been 
untouched,  and  it  would  seem  that  he  felt  himself 
called   upon   to   resist   as    long    as    his   own   strength 


THE  BATTLE.  33 1 

allowed.  But  his  remaining  people  entreated  him 
to  remember  his  wounded,  and  he  at  last  consented 
to  summon  his  officers.  Only  one,  Lieutenant 
McKnight,  could  join  him  on  the  quarter-deck !  The 
first  lieutenant,  Mr.  Wilmer,  had  been  knocked  over- 
board by  a  spHnter  and  drowned,  while  getting  the 
sheet  anchor  from  the  bows ;  Lieutenant  Cowell,  the 
next  in  rank,  was  mortally  wounded ;  Lieutenant 
Odenheimer  had  just  been  knocked  overboard  from 
the  quarter,  and  did  not  regain  the  vessel  for  several 
moments.  The  reports  of  the  state  of  the  ship  were 
fearful.  A  large  portion  of  the  guns  were  disabled, 
even  had  there  been  men  left  to  fight  them.  The 
berth-deck,  steerage,  wardroom,  and  cockpit  were 
full  of  wounded,  and  the  latter  were  even  killed  by 
shot  while  under  the  surgeon's  hands.  The  carpen- 
ter was  sent  for,  and  he  stated  that  of  his  crew,  he 
alone  could  perform  any  duty.  He  had  been  over 
the  side  to  stop  shot-holes,  when  his  slings  were  cut 
away  and  he  narrowly  escaped  drowning.  In  short, 
seventy-five  men,  officers  included,  were  all  that  re- 
mained for  duty,  and  the  enemy,  in  perfectly  smooth 
water,  was  firing  his  long  eighteens  at  a  nearly  unre- 
sisting ship,  with  as  much  precision  as  he  could  have 
discharged   them  at  a  target.     It   became   an  impera- 


332  WITH    PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

tive  duty  to  strike,  and  the  colors  were  accordingly 
hauled  down  after  one  of  the  most  remarkable  com- 
bats to  be  found  in  the  history  of  naval  warfare. 

"  In  this  bloody  contest  the  Essex  had  fifty-eight 
men  killed,  including  those  who  soon  died  of  their 
hurts,  and  sixty-six  wounded,  making  a  total  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty-four,  or  nearly  half  of  all  who 
were  on  board  at  the  commencement  of  the  action. 
Of  the  missing  there  were  thirty-one,  most  of  whom 
were  probably  drowned,  either  in  attempting  to  swim 
ashore  when  the  ship  was  on  fire,  or  by  being 
knocked  overboard  by  splinters  or  pieces  of  rigging. 
Including  the  missing,  the  entire  loss  was  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty-two  out  of  two   hundred  and    fifty-five. 

"  The  EsseXy  with  a  very  trifling  exception  while 
closing,  fought  this  battle  with  her  six  long  twelves, 
opposed  by  fifteen  long  eighteens  in  broadside,  the 
long  guns  of  the  Cherub,  and,  a  good  deal  of  the 
time,  while  they  lay  on  her  quarter,  by  the  carron- 
ades  of  both  the  enemy's  ships.  Captain  Hillyar's 
published  official  letter  makes  the  loss  of  the  Phcebe 
four  killed  and  seven  wounded ;  that  of  the  Cherub 
one  killed  and  three  wounded.  Captain  Tucker  of  the 
Cherub  was  wounded,  and  the  first  Heutenant  of  the 
Phoebe  was  killed. 


THE   BATFLE.  333 

"  The  English  ships  were  cut  up  more  than  could 
have  been  expected  under  the  circumstances,  the 
latter  having  received  no  less  than  eighteen  12- 
pound  shots  below  the  water  line.  It  would  seem 
that  the  smoothness  of  the  water  rendered  the  fire 
very  certain  on  both  sides,  and  it  is  only  to  be  re- 
gretted that  the  Essex  could  not  have  engaged  under 
her  three  topsails  from  the  commencement. 

"The  engagement  lasted  nearly  two  hours  and  a 
half,  the  long  guns  of  the  Essex,  it  is  said,  having 
been  fired  no  less  than  seventy-five  times,  each,  in 
broadside.  The  enemy  must  have  thrown,  agreeably 
to  the  statements  made  at  the  time,  not  less  than 
seven  hundred   18-pound  shot  at  the  Essex.'' 


CHAPTER   XV. 

ON   PAROLE. 

"TOURING  the  greater  portion  of  that  terrible  time 
*— ^  which  has  been  so  vividly  described  by  one  who 
afterward  became  famihar  with  all  the  horrible  details, 
I  had  but  little  idea  of  what  was  going  on,  save  among 
us  on  the  gun-deck. 

We  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  poor  efforts  at  hand- 
ling the  sorely  wounded  ship,  and  could  only  load 
and  fire  so  long  as  a  gun's  crew  remained  alive. 

When  one  fell  dead  or  wounded  at  his  task  another 
was  called  to  fill  his  place,  and  speedily  the  deck  was 
so  littered  with  the  Hfeless  or  the  dying  that  some  of 
us  would  be  summoned  to  aid  the  surgeon's  force  in 
dragging  them  out  of  the  way. 

As  during  the  first  portion  of  the  engagement,  I  was 
burning  with  the  fever  of  battle,  and  had  so  Httle 
knowledge  of  what  was  being  done  that  I  could  not 
have  said  whether  one  hour  or  ten  had  elapsed  since 
the  action  was  begun.  It  seemed  to  me  as  if  we  had 
been  half  an  ordinary  Hfetime  at  this  business,  and  I 

334 


ON  PAROLE.  335 

had  stood  so  long  beneath  the  shadow  of  the  death 
angel's  wings  that  I  took  it  for  granted  I  should  be 
numbered  with  the  slain  when  the  conflict  ceased, 
but  gave  no  heed  to  such  possibility. 

Phil  and  I  knew  vaguely,  because  of  the  dreadful 
slaughter  which  followed,  when  the  frigate's  bow 
payed  off  while  Captain  Porter  was  trying  to  beach 
her,  and  we  came  to  realize  dimly  —  as  though  it  was 
something  which  did  not  concern  us  personally  —  that 
we  were  being  so  badly  cut  to  pieces  as  to  make  it 
certain  our  people  must  finally  yield  to  the  enemy; 
but  above  all  was  the  one  thought,  a  single  desire, 
to  do  as  much  damage  as  possible  to  the  Britishers 
before  our  ship  went  down. 

Then,  when  we  were  in  position  where  we  could 
fire  a  broadside,  we  began  to  cheer  once  more,  believ- 
ing that  after  all  our  disadvantages  we  might  compel 
the  foe  to  retire ;  but  our  hearts  did  not  sink,  perhaps 
because  we  were  too  much  excited  to  realize  it,  when 
the  hawser  of  the  sheet  anchor  parted,  leaving  us  once 
again  where  we  could  be  raked. 

When  the  ship  was  on  fire  we  ran  to  the  spar-deck, 
yet  fighting  the  flames,  and  neither  Phil  nor  I  kiiew 
until  afterward  that  permission  had  been  given  the 
men  to  leap  overboard  and  save  themselves. 


336  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

We  would  not  have  deserted  the  ship,  however, 
because  both  of  us  were  following  Master  Hackett 
very  closely ;  it  seemed  much  as  though  he  had  become 
a  part  of  us,  and  we  could  do  nothing  save  by  his  side 
or  under  his  direction. 

Why  we  three,  when  all  those  brave  hearts  were 
sent  into  eternity  on  that  28th  day  of  March,  should 
have  escaped  a  wound  I  am  unable  to  say ;  it  must 
have  been,  as  my  mother  said,  that  God  was  not  yet 
ready  to  receive  us  into  that  portion  of  his  kingdom 
that  had  been  allotted  us. 

The  old  man  took  us  lads  by  the  hand  when  fi- 
nally Captain  Porter  gave  orders  that  the  colors  be 
hauled  down  in  token  of  surrender,  and  there  we 
stood  as  if  unable  to  move  or  speak,  when  the  Brit- 
ishers came  on  board. 

The  living  were  allowed  to  bury  the  dead ;  the 
wounded  were  taken  on  shore,  and  then  we  were, 
with  many  others,  sent  on  board  the  Cherub,  where 
we  were  by  no  means  badly  treated.  More  than  one 
Britisher  on  board  that  ship  was  ashamed,  as  I  my- 
self heard  them  say,  at  our  having  been  attacked 
while  disabled,  and  nearly  all  did  whatsoever  they 
might  to  ease  the  burden  of  grief  and  disappoint- 
ment. 


ON   PAROLE.  337 

There  is  no  good  reason  why  I  should  set  down 
here  what  we  did  or  said  during  such  time  as  we 
remained  in  the  harbor  of  Valparaiso,  for  it  would  be 
sad  reading.  It  can  well  be  supposed  that  we  mourned 
for  our  brave  fellows  who  had  been  killed,  and  our 
hearts  went  out  in  sympathy  to  those  wounded  ashore ; 
but  as  for  ourselves,  we  could  do  nothing  save  exist. 

Then  came  the  day  when  it  was  made  known  that 
Captain  Hillyar  had  decided  it  would  be  quite  out  of 
the  question  to  hamper  himself  with  so  many  pris- 
oners, and  the  Essex  Junior  was  to  be  converted  into 
a  cartel^  to  take  us  home  after  we  had  given  our 
paroles. 

It  seemed  most  wonderful  that  after  passing  through 
so  many  dangers  we  were  really  to  see  our  native 
country  once  more.  I  wept  tears  of  joy  when  the 
news  came  to  me,  and  was  not  ashamed  of  so  doing. 
During  the  fight,  and  for  many  a  long  day  afterward, 
I  thought  of  myself  as  so  nearly  in  the  clutches  of 
death  that  I  was  already  done  with  the  things  of  this 
world. 

When  the  arrangements  had  finally  been  made, 
however,  we  learned  that  my  cousin,  Lieutenant  Mc- 

1 A  ship  employed  in  the  exchange  of  prisoners,  or  in  communicating 
with  the  enemy. 


338  WITH   PORTER  IN  THE   ESSEX. 

Knight,  Mr.  Adams,  the  chaplain,  Mr.  Lyman,  a 
master's  mate,  and  eleven  of  our  sailors  had  already 
been  exchanged  for  some  prisoners  taken  from  the 
Sir  Andrew  Hammond^  and  were  then  on  board  the 
Essex  Junior, 

Later,  after  we  had  sailed  for  the  United  States, 
my  cousin  and  Mr.  Lyman  went  to  Rio  de  Janeiro  in 
the  Phoebe  in  order  to  give  some  testimony  in  behalf 
of  the  captors.  From  that  port  they  sailed  in  a 
Swedish  brig  bound  to  England,  and  since  that 
moment  it  has  been  impossible  to  learn  aught  con- 
cerning their  fate.  The  captain  of  the  brig  declares 
that  his  passengers  were  sent  on  board  the  British 
sloop-of-war  Wasp,  at  their  own  request.  The  Was/> 
was  never  heard  from  after  she  parted  company  with 
the  brig ;  but  it  is  my  opinion,  and  shared  by  many, 
that  Lieutenant  McKnight  and  his  companion  were 
foully  murdered  by  the  Swede. 

We  left  the  port  of  Valparaiso  with  our  papers  in 
good  order,  and  all  on  board  rejoicing  at  the  prospect 
of  seeing  their  loved  ones  once  more.  At  that  time 
I  believed  nothing  could  tempt  me  to  leave  my 
mother  again ;  but  "  once  a  sailor  always  a  sailor "  is 
the  proverb,  and  I  am  inclined  to  think  it  has  in  it 
much  truth. 


ON   PAROLE.  339 

The  voyage  was  a  prosperous  one ;  we  doubled 
Cape  Horn  without  difficulty  or  incident,  and  had  we 
but  been  in  the  good  ship  Essex,  returning  home  after 
a  successful  cruise,  the  days  would  not  have  been  long 
enough  for  all  our  happiness.  As  it  was,  however,  we 
lived  over  and  over  again  the  past,  discussing  the 
battle  which  had  cost  us  so  dearly  and  left  the  poor 
old  frigate  a  wreck  in  the  harbor  of  Valparaiso,  and 
speaking  tenderly  with  many  a  choking  sob  of  the 
shipmates  who  stood  gallantly  to  their  posts  of  duty 
until  death  struck  them  down. 

Now  we  were  returning  on  parole,  the  survivors  of 
a  ship's  company  which  had  struck  their  colors  to  the 
enemy,  and  it  weighed  us  down,  even  though  we  knew 
full  well  that  the  cruise  of  the  Essex  had  been  of 
greatest  value  to  our  country. 

We  talked  of  the  old  ship  as  if  she  had  once  been 
a  living  thing,  and  regretted  most  deeply  that  we  had 
not  succeeded  in  beaching  her,  or  that  we  had  extin- 
guished the  flames  when  her  hold  was  apparently  a 
mass  of  fire. 

In  fact,  we  went  over  all  the  details  of  our  voyage 
which  was  ending  so  sadly,  never  tiring  during  all  the 
long  weeks,  and  many  times  did  we  conjure  up  pic- 
tures of  our  shipmates  who  had  been  left  behind  on 


340  WITH    PORTER   IN   THE  ESSEX. 

Nukuheva,  wondering  what  they  would  do  after  months 
had  passed  and  we  failed  to  return,  or  speculating 
upon  the  possibility  that  they  would  attempt  the  home- 
ward cruise  in  one  of  the  prizes. 

Poor  fellows !  While  we  spoke  of  them  as  living 
happily  and  amid  plenty,  they  were  battling  for  life,  as 
I  may  one  day  set  down  in  detail,  if  it  so  be  that  this 
feeble  apology  for  a  landsman's  yarn  finds  favor  with 
those  who  may  read  it. 

The  voyage  on  the  cartel  was  a  prosperous  one,  as  I 
have  already  said,  and  in  due  time  we  were  off  the 
port  of  New  York,  believing  that  within  a  few  hours,  at 
the  longest,  we  would  be  at  liberty  to  go  wheresoever 
it  pleased  us.  The  Essex  Junior  was  no  more  than 
thirty  miles  from  land  when  we  sighted  a  Britisher  who 
speedily  gave  us  to  understand  that  we  must  heave  to 
and  show  our  papers. 

The  stranger  proved  to  be  the  Saturn,  a  razee  (mean- 
ing a  ship-of-war  cut  down  to  a  smaller  size  by  reducing 
the  number  of  decks),  commanded  by  Captain  Nash. 

We  had  not  supposed  there  might  be  any  question  of 
our  detention,  for  we  had  a  passport  in  due  form  from 
Captain  Hillyar ;  but  this  Britisher  took  it  into  his 
head  that  there  must  be  something  wrong  with  our 
craft ;  he  even  questioned  the  right  of  Captain  Hillyar 


ON   PAROLE.  341 

to  parole  us,  and  ended  by  giving  the  order  that  we  lay 
by  him  during  the  night. 

Immediately  visions  of  a  British  prison  danced  before 
our  eyes.  We  had  been  forced  into  a  fight  when  our 
ship  was  little  better  than  a  wreck,  by  one  Englishman, 
and  now  here  was  another  who  proposed  to  take  in 
charge  a  lot  of  paroled  men  who  were  free  to  sail  to 
their  port  of  destination  according  to  the  usages  of  war 
among  all  nations. 

After  a  time  of  jawing  and  tongue  wagging  among 
our  sailors,  we  came  to  believe  that  Captain  Porter  was 
the  one  whom  the  Britisher  particularly  desired  to  hold ; 
for  surely  he  could  have  no  wish  to  hamper  himself 
with  a  lot  of  seamen  whom  he  must,  beyond  a  peradven- 
ture,  set  at  liberty  when  his  government  learned  the 
facts  in  the  case. 

What  they  would  do  with  our  captain  no  one  seemed 
to  so  much  as  guess ;  we  had  decided  among  ourselves 
that  some  indignity  would  be  put  upon  him,  and  when 
the  word  was  passed  from  one  to  another  that  Captain 
Porter  was  inclined  to  make  his  escape  in  one  of  the 
small  boats,  every  man  jack  volunteered  to  pull  him 
ashore. 

To  row  a  ship's  boat  thirty  miles,  with  the  chances  of 
being  lost  in  the  fog  which  was  even  then  creeping  over 


342  WITH    PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

the  waters,  seemed  like  a  desperate  undertaking;  but 
when  Master  Hackett,  who  had  been  selected  by  the 
crew  as  their  spokesman,  went  aft  and  made  known  to 
Captain  Porter  what  they  desired  to  do,  he  accepted 
the  offer  without  hesitation. 

One  of  our  boats  was  launched  to  leeward,  where  she 
might  not  be  seen  by  those  on  the  razee,  and  our  com- 
mander, with  little  Midshipman  Farragut  by  his  side, 
lowered  himself  into  the  stern-sheets  after  the  crew 
were  at  their  stations. 

Six  hardy  seamen  gave  way  at  the  oars,  and  Phil  and 
I  waved  our  hats  in  parting  at  Master  Hackett,  whom 
we  did  not  see  again  until  many  a  long  day  had  passed. 

The  Britisher  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  small  boat 
as  she  pulled  out  past  our  ship,  and  he  pitched  a 
shot  after  her  as  a  signal  to  heave  to  ;  but  the  old 
shellbacks  who  sat  at  the  oars  were  not  the  kind  to  be 
frightened  by  the  burning  of  British  powder.  They 
had  sniffed  the  odor  many  times  before,  and  if  they 
would  voluntarily  remain  on  a  burning  ship  while  the 
enemy  was  plugging  ball  after  ball  into  her  as  if  she 
had  been  no  more  than  a  target,  they  could  be  depended 
upon  to  hold  their  course  regardless  of  Captain  Nash 
and  the  razee  Saturn. 

Before  the  Britishers  could  fire  at  them  again  they 


ON   PAROLE.  343 

were  lost  to  view  in  the  fog,  and,  as  we  learned  two 
days  afterward,  landed  in  safety  on  Long  Island. 

Next  morning  Captain  Nash,  after  examining  our 
papers  once  more,  gave  us  permission  to  continue  the 
voyage,  and  before  nightfall  we  were  lying  in  the  har- 
bor of  New  York,  rejoicing  at  having  escaped  death 
or  a  British  prison. 

Yes,  we  were  made  much  of,  once  it  was  known  in 
the  city  who  we  were,  but  of  that  there  is  no  reason 
why  I  should  speak  at  any  length. 

I  should  add,  however,  that  after  sailing  and  rowing 
sixty  miles  or  more,  the  boat  in  which  was  our  com- 
mander arrived  at  Babylon,  on  the  south  side  of  Long 
Island,  and  even  then  her  occupants  were  not  free  from 
trouble.  Captain  Porter  was  suspected  by  the  citizens 
of  being  a  British  officer,  and  but  for  the  fact  that  he 
had  his  commission  from  Congress  in  his  pocket,  he 
might  have  been  detained. 

He  made  his  way  to  New  York,  where  he  was  received 
with  demonstrations  of  most  profound  respect;  and 
when  the  exploits  of  the  Essex  had  been  told,  every 
city,  village,  and  hamlet  in  the  country  sung  the  praises 
of  the  frigate  and  those  who  manned  her. 

Phil  and  I  went  home  as  soon  as  it  was  possible  to 
escape  from  those  who  were  eager  to  show  their  ad- 


344  WITH   PORTER   IN  THE   ESSEX. 

miration  of  what  had  been  done  by  the  Essex,  and  I 
carried  in  my  pocket  a  song  which  was  made  especially 
for  the  frigate.  It  was  printed  and  sold  on  the  streets ; 
there  was  in  the  verses  no  little  praise  for  all  hands ; 
but  the  Hnes  I  set  down  here  pleased  me  more  than 
all  the  rest,  since  they  referred  to  that  gallant  sailor 
who  by  his  skill  and  courage  had  made  it  possible  for 
any  of  us  to  see  home  again. 

**  From  the  laurel's  fairest  bough 
Let  the  muse  her  garland  twine, 
To  adorn  our  Porter's  brow, 

Who,  beyond  the  burning  line, 
Led  his  caravan  of  tars  o'er  the  tide. 
To  the  pilgrims  fill  the  bowl. 
Who,  around  the  southern  pole, 
Saw  new  constellations  roll. 
For  their  guide." 


WITH    PERRY 
ON   LAKE   ERIE 

A    TALE     OF     i8i2 

By  yames  Otis 
307  pp.     Cloth,  $1.^0 


Characters  and  incidents  largely  historical.     A  lively  ren- 
dering of  a  memorable  event.  —  The  Outlook, 


Graphically  does  Mr.  Otis  tell  the  story  of  the  naval  battle 
won  by  Commodore  Perry.  The  well-known  tale,  rehearsed 
in  a  new  manner,  though  with  strict  adherence  to  history,  is 
given  in  the  first  person  by  a  boy,  who,  with  the  Commo- 
dore's young  brother,  was  concerned  in  all  the  important 
events  of  that  battle,  as  well  as  in  previously  warding  off  the 
capture  of  Presque  Isle.  It  is  one  of  the  best  of  Revolution- 
ary tales,  in  manner,  facts,  and  interest,  published  within  the 
last  year  or  two,  and  the  covers  are  attractive.  —  The  Literary 
World. 


An  account  of  the  brave  but  often  fruitless  struggles  and 
attempts  of  young  Commodore  Perry  to  get  into  fighting 
trim  the  famous  Lake  Erie  fleet,  handicapped  as  he  was  by 
lack  of  men  and  material.  The  author  has  in  no  wise  de- 
parted from  the  strict  truth,  as  given  by  the  best  historians, 
and  it  is  this  fact  which  renders  his  entertaining  story  partic- 
ularly valuable  as  a  book  for  the  young.  —  Dial. 


IVith  Preble  at  Tripoli 

A  STORY  OF  "OLD  IRONSIDES" 
AND    THE    TRIPOLITAN    WAR 

By  JAMES  OTIS 

349  pages.     Cloth.     i2mo.     $i.So 

Second  Volume  in  '*  TAe  Great  Admiral  Series'*^ 


It  is  a  typical,  dashing,  instructive,  and  thrilling  story.  It 
is  intended  for  Ijoys,  but  there  is  hardly  a  person,  young  or 
old,  who  would  not  be  intensely  interested  in  it.  Such  a 
book  as  this  should  be  welcomed  by  every  parent. — Boston 
Journal, 

This  volume  gives  us  a  most  vivid  description  of  the  ex- 
ploits of  the  old  "Constitution"  and  the  brave  men  under 
Commander  Preble's  command.  It  is  of  the  best  juvenile 
literature. —  The  Ittdta7iapolis  Journal. 

It  is  a  thrilling  account  of  the  loss  of  the  "Philadelphia," 
and  of  the  most  famous  "cutting  out"  party  in  our  naval 
history.  It  adds  a  second  volume  to  one  of  our  most  inter- 
esting series  of  books  for  young  people. —  The  Dial. 

The  ever-stimulating  account  of  "  Old  Ironsides"  and  her 
famous  campaign  against  the  Tripolitan  pirates  forms  the 
basis  of  one  of  Mr.  Oti^'s  best  stories;  correct  in  its  historical 
facts,  interesting  from  beginning  to  end,  it  will  be  welcomed 
not  only  by  the  younger  reader,  but  by  the  older  one  as  well. 
—  The  Presbyterian. 


BOOKS  BY  WILLIAM  DRYSDALE 

THE    YOUNG    REPORTER 

A  STORY  OF  PRINTING    HOUSE   SQUARE 
300  pp.     Cloth.     $1.^0 


If  ever  a  writer  knew  how  to  tell  a  rattling  story  that 
almost  lifts  you  off  your  feet  on  the  first  page,  it  is  William 
Drysdale.  His  style  is  vivacious  and  racy,  and  the  events 
hurry  along  like  the  current  of  a  stream  above  a  cascade. 
The  story  in  itself  is  intensely  interesting,  but,  aside  from  its 
interest,  it  gives  an  insight  into  the  life  of  a  great  daily  paper 
of  the  city  that  it  would  be  hard  to  find  elsewhere.  Thus 
the  book  is  instructive  as  well  as  captivating.  —  Lutheran 
Evangelist. 

«*  The  Young  Reporter  "  is  a  rattling  book  for  boys.  It  is 
written  by  Mr.  William  Drysdale,  a  retired  journalist,  who 
has  held  responsible  desks  upon  the  Sun,  the  Recorder  and 
other  papers,  and  who  knows  just  what  he  is  talking  about. 
— Alew  York  Recorder. 

¥ 

A  genuine  boys'  book  for  genuine  boys.  It  is  full  of  life, 
clean,  clear  cut,  and  inspiring.  We  can  commend  this  book 
to  any  lover  of  boys'  stories.  It  is  illustrated  with  spirit,  the 
pictures  adding  greatly  to  the  attractiveness  of  the  book. 
— Journal  of  Education. 

¥ 

This  is  a  story  of  real  power,  full  of  life  and  action,  and 
will  enlist  the  interest  of  every  stirring  and  wide-awake  boy. 
—  Herald  ^^  Presbyter. 


Fighting   Under 

the  Southern   Cross. 

A  Story  of  the  Chile-Peruvian  War. 

BY 

CLAUDE  H.    WETMORE. 

335  pages.  Illustrated.  i2mo.  Cloth,  $1.50. 


CONTAINING  PRONOUNCING  VOCABULARY 
AND  MAP  OF  CALLAO  BAY 


This  is  one  of  the  best  stories  for  boys  that  has  been  issued,  and 
with  great  pleasure  we  heartily  recommend  it. — Observer. 

This  story  is  full  of  thrilling  interest  and  dramatic  power.  The 
many  picturesque  descriptions  give  a  real  portrayal  of  the  country 
and  its  people. — Book  News. 

This  volume  is  so  real  that  one  imagines  he  is  in  the  centre  of 
action.  This  doubtless  is  due  to  the  author's  thorough  acquaintance 
with  the  customs  and  conditions  of  these  countries. — St.  Louis  Star, 

Just  now  when  there  are  so  many  reminders  of  the  differences 
existing  between  the  South  American  States,  and  while  the  influ- 
ence of  the  Pan-American  Congress  in  Mexico  is  being  so  strongly 
felt,  this  book  is  very  timely.  It  is  a  very  vivid  picture  of  the  war 
between  Chile  and  Peru  in  1879,  and  a  portrayal  of  the  customs  and 
manners  of  these  states  that  is  extremely  interesting,  and  that  throws 
much  light  on  present  problems. — Christian  Endeavor  World. 

The  bitter  war  of  conquest  waged  by  Chile  against  Peru  has  never 
been  given  any  popular  presentation  until  now.  The  author  is  a 
traveler  who  has  covered  all  of  South  America  and  was  a  resident  of 
Peru  when  the  war  broke  out.  His  picture  of  that  period  is  absorb- 
ingly interesting,  and  the  promised  sequel  of  this  volume  will  be 
awaited  with  great  eagerness. —  The  Interior. 

W.  A.  WILDE  COMPANY,  Boston  and  Chicago. 


Incaland 


A  Story  of  Adventure  in  the  interior  of   Peru 
and  the  closing  chapters  of  the  War  with  Chile. 

BY 

CLAUDE  H.    WETMORE, 

309  pp.  Illustrated.  i2mo.  Cloth,  $1.50 


CONTAINING  PRONOUNCING   VOCABULARY. 


*'  The  author  is  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  history  and 
records  of  the  far-famed  land  of  the  Incas,  and  the  story  is  full 
of  interest  historically  as  well  as  a  work  of  excellent  romance 
and  fiction."  —  Chronicle- Telegraph. 

"  Mr.  Wetmore  has  shown  in  '  Incaland  '  how  that  the  Chile- 
Peruvian  War  was  to  the  latter  people  a  blessing  in  disguise,  and 
how  that,  casting  aside  her  antiquated  systems,  Peru  introduced 
many  improvements,  until  she  has  to-day  attained  a  most  en- 
viable position  among  the  South  American  republics.  All  this 
information  the  author  has  clothed  in  the  attractive  guise  of  a 
story,  full  of  interesting  and  stirring  accounts  in  which  boys  will 
find  great  delight." — New  York  Examiner. 

"  '  Incaland'  deals  with  the  history  and  wonderful  progress  of 
Peru  subsequent  to  the  War,  and  it  overflows  with  historical  in- 
terest, and,  as  it  is  in  a  most  picturesque  setting,  it  will  surely 
find  a  hearty  welcome."  —  Christian  Endeavor  World. 

"  This  volume  is  not  only  steeped  in  the  Indian  lore  of  the 
past,  but  it  embraces  as  well  some  of  the  stirring  instances  of  the 
Chile-Peruvian  War,  and  any  boy  who  has  read  this  stirring  nar- 
rative has  unconsciously  acquired  not  only  familiarity  with  a 
certain  period  in  history,  but  with  the  manners  and  aspect  of  this 
historic  country.  It  is  a  ringing  boys'  story,  full  of  interest  and 
enthusiasm."  —  Free  Press,  Milwaukee. 

W.  A.  WILDE  COMPANY,  Boston  and  Chicago. 


CADET      STANDISH 
OF     THE     ST,     LOUIS 

A   STORY    OF    OUR    NAVAL 
CAMPAIGN   IN  CUBAN  WATERS. 

j^  2  pages.     Cloth.     $i.^0. 


In  "  Cadet  Standish  of  the  St.  Louis"  Mr.  William  Drys- 
dale  tells  the  story  of  an  American  boy  to  whom  the  Spanish 
war  brought  some  novel  and  exciting  experiences.  The  lad 
took  part  in  the  cable  cutting  off  Guantanamo,  the  first  exploit 
in  which  the  great  "  merchant  cruiser "  distinguished  her- 
self. Not  only  is  Mr.  Drysdale  an  accomplished  writer,  but 
he  has  an  intimate  knowledge  of  the  West  Indian  regions 
where  most  of  the  scenes  are  laid.  The  result  is  a  most 
graphic  and  entertaining  volume. — Boston  Journal. 


This  is  a  story  of  the  recent  naval  combat  in  Cuban  waters. 
The  book  is  picturesque  and  interesting  from  cover  to  cover. 
The  local  color  is  presented  in  a  series  of  vivid  touches  and 
is  skillfully  interwoven  with  the  narrative  interest.  The  story 
is  that  of  a  young  cadet  on  board  the  .5V.  Louis,  who  is  de- 
tailed for  dangerous  shore  duty.  His  adventures  make  up 
the  story  that  at  once  attracts  and  informs  the  reader. —  The 
Baptist  Union. 


It  is  pleasant  to  be  able  to  say  that  this  tale  of  Cadet 
Standish  is  interesting,  wholesome,  natural,  even  among  ex- 
citing scenes.  The  hero  is  a  fine  fellow  in  every  way :  in  his 
relations  to  his  widowed  mother,  as  a  young  business  man, 
and  with  his  associates  in  the  navy. —  The  Literary   World. 


IN     COLONIAL      TIMES 


IN     THE     CAMP 
OF     CORNWALLIS: 

A  STORY  OF  REUBEN  DENTON  AND  HIS 

EXPERIENCES   DURING  THE  NEW 

JERSEY  CAMPAIGN  OF  1777. 

By  Everett    T.    Tomlinson,    Ph.D. 
i2mo.     353  pp.     Cloth.,  %i-50.     IlL 

This  story  is  patriotic,  exciting,  and  pleasing,  and  instructs 
in  the  early  history  of  our  country  without  appearing  to  do  so. 
—  Tribune. 

Dr.  Tomlinson's  Revolutionary  stories  have  so  whetted  the 
appetites  of  his  many  boy  readers  that  they  will  begin  this  one 
with  avidity,  and  lay  it  down  with  gratitude  for  the  pleasure 
and  information  it  has  given. — Christian  Endeavor  World. 


No  books  are  more  welcome  than  those  from  the  pen  of 
this  writer.  Besides  being  thoroughly  interesting  and  of 
literary  merit,  they  strike  a  most  patriotic  chord,  for  it  is  the 
author's  intention  to  convey  a  knowledge  of  our  country's 
history  in  an  entertaining  manner. — Inter-Ocean. 


This  volume  is  pat.iotic  in  tone  and  treatment,  and  has  all 
the  fire  and  spirit  that  have  made  the  author's  "  War  of  the 
Revolution  Series  "  such  prime  favorites  with  young  people. 

This  author's  books  are  not  only  entertaining  for  the 
moment,  but  they  are  written  with  the  deeper  purpose  of 
creating  a  desire  on  the  part  of  the  youthful  reader  for  per- 
sonal investigation  into  our  national  history. —  Bookseller, 
Newsdealer  dr»  Stationer. 

Dr.  Tomlinson  has  done  remarkably  helpful  work  along  the 
line  of  supplying  young  people  with  history  in  a  most  attract- 
ive form.  In  this  volume  he  combines  historical  facts  with 
exciting  and  interesting  adventure,  which  meets  the  most  vig- 
orous demands  of  a  practical  imagination. — Cumulative  Index. 


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